Iowa City West football lineman Colin Whitters gets his glory with a recent touchdown run

IOWA CITY — There is little to no glory in being an offensive lineman.

The only time your name is mentioned over the PA system is during pregame introductions. Or when you commit a penalty.

Only true football guys have an appreciation for what you do. And hopefully your quarterback and running back.

“It’s a very selfless position,” said Iowa City West’s Colin Whitters. “So it’s just the mentality of you’ve got to be nasty. Have the ability to take a guy and put him where he needs to be. It’s just about loving your guys, I think.

“Blocking isn’t the most fun for anyone, I don’t think. It’s a nasty job. So just love your running backs and your quarterback, that’s what I kind of take to it.”

Two weeks ago, the all-state senior and University of Iowa commit got some reciprocal love back from his coaches and teammates. Whitters scored on an 8-yard run in a 69-7 win over Muscatine.

It was a trick play in which Whitters was lined up as usual at his right guard spot, took a couple of steps back and received a handoff from quarterback Mikey Moody. No one was able to stop the 6-foot-4, 310-pounder from getting his touchdown.

“I don’t know. I was supposed to get low, but I didn’t get super low,” Whitters said. “I think I was just so excited I had the ball that I just kind of stood with it. I hid myself but a guy saw me, me and that guy kind of made eye contact, and I was like ‘OK, I have to go now.’

“So I just ran with it. I wanted the end zone, so that’s what I ran to.”

His phone blew up after the game, as his moment of ball-carrying glory was caught on someone’s cellphone and posted to ‘X.’

“Sometimes a guy will be tweeting about stuff, and I’ll scroll through and it’ll say ‘Colin Whitters, super pancake’ or whatever,” Whitters said. “This time, it was literally all over the place. Saw something about (me saying) I was running to Steak N’ Shake after, and I was like I don’t even know. I was thinking more like it was a milkshake, man. It was a fun time, for sure.”

Whitters didn’t really fall in love with football until after his freshman year, he said. That’s when schools started reaching out to him, intrigued by his size and quick feet.

Iowa was the first visit he made. Then it was Wisconsin.

Staying at home was his ultimate choice, joining West teammate Juju Manson as Hawkeyes commits.

“What separates Colin from the majority of players is his understanding and love for football outside of the Friday night games,” said West Coach Garrett Hartwig. “Friday nights are really five percent of what we do as a team. Colin loves lifting, film, offseason workouts, all of it. The games are just the culmination of a long process.

“Colin absolutely loves the process, and that’s what makes him a very good player.”

Whitters played some defense last season for the Trojans but has been exclusively offense this season. He said West having more experience this season on the D-line was a reason, as well as a slight shoulder issue in which he has been dealing.

He’ll play guard in college and won’t enroll early at Iowa, preferring to stay at West with his friends. He’s got state track and field championships in the shot put and discus to try and defend.

And a deep playoff run to try and make in football. West is 6-1 and ranked seventh in Class 5A going into its big game Friday night at Cedar Rapids Prairie (4-3).

Prairie’s best player is David Fason, another Iowa commit at defensive tackle. A head-to-head matchup between Whitters and Fason could be delicious.

“I’ve had Prairie circled ever since last year,” Whitters said. “We didn’t play well against them last year (a 28-21 loss), kind of shot ourselves in the foot. We didn’t score the first half, I don’t believe. We played a good second half but still couldn’t get it done. So I’ve had that game circled ever since last year. Then with David also going to Iowa ...

“We’ve kind of been crap talking each other throughout the week. So I’m excited. We both definitely want that matchup. Even though he moves around a bit (on the line), I think we’re both excited to get after each other.”

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com