Greatest Cal Offensive Linemen of the 2000s
by Avinash Kunnath on Jun 24, 2010 3:00 AM PDT
in All-Decade
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PrintMore of the CGB All-Decade Posts: Best Golden Bear running backs, best Golden Bear wide receivers, best Golden Bear fullbacks, and best Golden Bear tight ends
This series of lists would be incomplete without discussing the mainstay of any successful college football team, the offensive line. And Cal's O-line (no, not the quarterback, the offensive line), behind the solid coaching of Coach Jim Michalczik powered our offense to the pinnacle of the Tedford-era teams.
This is one of those posts where I feel horribly inadequate in discussing any of these people. I still know only the rudimentary details about blocking, schemes, and techniques our linemen used (and I didn't watch half of these guys), so it's hard to judge who the best linemen were for our teams by any individual measure.
Oh well. Here we go. Vote for your greatest Cal O-linemen of the decade in the poll and discuss who it should be in the comments!
Tied for 5: Langston Walker, Mark Wilson
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We downgrade him a little because he was stuck on those horrible Holmoe teams and didn't really do enough blocking for Kyle Boller, but there was no denying the raw talent of Langston Walker.
Walker got drafted in the second round by the Raiders after that awful one-win season (making you wonder how terrible the coaching was to have a quality tackle and get NOTHING out of it) and has played eight seasons in the NFL for the Raiders, BIlls, and Raiders again. Although he could never max out his skills as a Golden Bear, his talent has kept him running for over a decade in the pros, which has to be acknowledged.
Mark Wilson was surprisingly a more successful tackle during his time at Cal (although some of that could've been attributed by the massive upgrade in coaching). Wilson had the more productive college career, starting all 48 career games at Cal, earning All Pac-10 honors in 2003. He's journeyed around the NFL, but injuries have kept him off the field. Wilson's good college career and Walker's long pro career place them both in the tie for fifth.
I have to be honest, I was very surprised to see O'Callaghan this low (Hydro and I voted him 2nd, the rest of our team placed him much further down). I guess his unsuccessful pro career up to this point has something to do with it, but seriously, the best guy on our best offensive lines goes fourth? I guess that's why we're letting you decide afterward...
Anyway. Morris Trophy winner in 2006 (best Pac-10 offensive lineman). Two-time first team All Pac-10. Had an unbelievable 67 knockdown blocks in 2004 and 2005 combined. Jeff Tedford called him the best offensive linemen he'd ever seen*. Repeat: JEFF TEDFORD CALLED HIM THE BEST OFFENSIVE LINEMEN HE'D EVER SEEN.
Man. And he's fourth on this list.
3. Aaron Merz
Had 41 pancake blocks during that remarkable two year stretch for Cal football. He was second-team All Pac-10 in 2005. He was arguably the second most valuable linemen involved in the running game, as he broke things open for Arrington, Lynch and Forsett to break to daylight dozens of times during that incredible stretch (final numbers from 2004 to 2005: 5904 yards, 246 yards per game).
(Yeah, this is the point where I just read lists instead of pretending to have any anecdotes or nuggets of wisdom about our offensive line pre-2007. My concept of Cal football in 2005 was "watch Marshawn go zoom".)
via imgs.sfgate.com
He was Cal's most valuable linemen in 2004, receiving the Brick Muller award for opening up the backfield. Rimington Award finalist in 2005 (for the best center in the country). Like the previous two candidates, 2004-2005 was Philip's time to shine, racking up 68.5 pancake blocks and 54 knockdowns is pretty much domination (not to mention he led the team in both categories in 2003). A worthy second place finish.
Unfortunately, he was only the second-best center for Cal this decade.
1. Alex Mack
via a.espncdn.com
We've written about Mack a lot, so here are the honors: He won the Morris trophy twice (2007 & 2008), meaning defensive linemen feared lining up against him the most out of all the Pac-10 O-linemen two years running. He was a Rimington trophy finalist twice. He made a bunch of All-American lists, something that's very hard to do when fighting the Texases, USCs and Floridas of the world. And he won the Draddy Trophy, a true testament to his ability to combine athletic pursuits with academic excellence.
Considering how much more difficult Alex had it in keeping Cal's running game going compared to the other guys on this list (who got to work together and wreck mayhem on the rest of the conference), it wasn't too hard to put him number one. Well, that and the fact that he was also the most talented of the guys on this list.
Still, I'd go to war with this six man lineup in front of me.
*This statement was in 2005, pre-Mack.
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O'Callaghan 4th? Wow.
I would have expected him to be no lower than 2nd and you could make a great case for him to be first.
Not that his pro career should have an impact on where he fits on the list, but he’s had the misfortune of having his career affected by injury. (He was on the Patriots’ IR for the entire 2008 season.) He did start several games for the Pats in 2006, a couple in 2007, and started 12 games for the Chiefs last year.
Yes, I am an Old Blue. Now get off my lawn.
Marvin Philip
Unfortunately, my enduring memory of Marvin Philip is of him being called for a phantom clipping penalty to negate a JJ Arrington TD late in the 4th quarter of the season finale at Southern Mississippi in 2004. The penalty was bullshit.
If it hadn’t been called, we win the game 33-16 instead of 26-16. Would a 17-point road victory have made it more difficult for voters to downgrade us?
Yes, I am an Old Blue. Now get off my lawn.
I don’t remember exactly where I voted O’Callaghan (I think I had him higher than Merz, but lower than Walker), but I was always under the impression that Philip was the best guy on those lines that they manned together, not the other way around.
Proud to hold season tickets to the only NBA team owned by a Russian oligarch.
I think Mack is the clear cut best of them all. Not even a question in my mind. After that, I’d have to go….
Langston Walker – I don’t think it’s fair to penalize him for his team. Dude got drafted in the 2nd round, which says a lot about how he played at Cal. He’s stuck in the league as a starter for years, which says a lot about his talent. He was really, really good.
Ryan O’Callaghan – Run blocking monster. I don’t think you should knock his pro career – he’s a starting RT at the moment, and I read rumors the Chiefs are going forward with him as the starter in mind. Arrington behind the right side of the line was so money in 2004, and O’Callaghan was a huge part of that.
Marvin Phillip – Alex Mack before Alex Mack came along. He was highly touted for much of his Cal career, and a very talented player.
Merz – Another very good player that was the foundation for the 2004 team’s success. I think him, O’Callaghan and Phillip really highlight just how important a quality O-line is to Cal’s success under Tedford.
Honorable mention: Mike Gibson – doesn’t make the list because he only spent 2 years at Cal, but on talent, he’s in the mix with the rest of these guys.
I generally agree with this list.
Hard to grade these guys since there is no official criteria to grade on
Plus, let’s be honest with ourselves – most of us (myself definitely included) don’t have much of an idea how to grade offensive lineman, and we don’t exactly take note of the blocking on every play, you know….?
by Missing Barry on Jun 24, 2010 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Walker was a top 5 lineman?
I know he has had an NFL career, but that doesnt mean he was all that good. Does it?
by 33SwisherSweet on Jun 24, 2010 7:20 AM PDT reply actions
I would think getting draft in the 2nd round means you were pretty good. Why would someone take a chance on you that high if you weren’t good?
by Missing Barry on Jun 24, 2010 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions
sad that two centers are on the list…it would be great to see them beef up their guard/tackle play. It’s concerning to me that MSG is switching to LT…seems like a desperation move. Certainly, it wouldn’t be unheard of if he really flourished at that position. It just seems a little late in the game to move your best lineman around the line.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Eh, I think it’s more common than you think. Since colleges are losing lineman pretty much every year, guys switching positions happens a lot and at even the best schools…..
by Missing Barry on Jun 24, 2010 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
Had to vote for the local guy. O’Callaghan went to one of my high school’s big rivals. Between that and the fact Aaron Rodgers went to a school we saw pretty much every year in football, 2004 was an awesome year for local Bear pride. This is doubly so when you consider that there’s so few people coming out of my forgotten corner of NorCal. :)
(Neat to see Mark Wilson, who hails from the far eastern boondocks of my hometown’s county here as well. We don’t send many players to D1-A, but the ones we send are pretty good…)
Member of the Lost Tribe of Mooch
Tend to view all of Cal Athletics in the University context...
So, I put Mack first — not only a great player, but a great representative of the best of CAL. For me, not concerned that there are two centers on the list — as they are the quarterbacks of the line. They often do not get enough credit for that part of the position.
O'Callaghan
HUGE Chiefs fan here and the word coming out of OTAs in KC is that Ryan is looking great and is ready to lock down the right tackle position. He really tore it up at the end of last season. Many pundits expected the Chiefs to draft an OT early in the draft, and the fact we didn’t proves our coaches are confident with his abilities. Scott Pioli and Charlie Weis (pretty solid talent evaluators, IMO) have nothing but exceptional things to say about him…I feel like this is the year he really busts out.
by Another Failed Tedford QB on Jun 24, 2010 11:15 AM PDT reply actions
Yep
He’s our new OC and Romeo Crennell is our new DC. Between the two, we have about 650 lbs of football genius!
by Another Failed Tedford QB on Jun 24, 2010 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Bout to take us the promise land!
the promise land of 6-10 of course….
by Another Failed Tedford QB on Jun 24, 2010 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions
O'Callaghan
Can’t vote anyone other than Mack #1 – he was absolutely dominant. But, seriously, tackles are much more valuable than interior linemen, because it’s way, way harder to play tackle. How Phillip and Mertz (both good linemen) can be rated higher than him is amazing to me. O’Callahan was a guy you could run behind and still gain big yardage when everyone in the country knew you were about to run behind him.
Hector Sanchez: Underrated. Fighting body bias since the 2009 off season. I still love you, son, even if you're fat.
O’Callaghan is my #1 as well. He dominated the right tackle spot for 3 years. If Jahvid Best had that 2004-2005 o-line he probably wins the Heisman.
I still wish Tedford had run JJ behind the right side of the line against SC in 2004. O’Callaghan excelled in goal line situations.
California Football. At home in Strawberry Canyon since 1923.
by CaliforniaEternal on Jun 24, 2010 8:01 PM PDT reply actions
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