Post by Trojan Warrior on Nov 21, 2013 5:57:30 GMT -6
When Troy starting center Evan McKissack performed a âblunt blockâ on a pair of Louisiana-Monroe defenders early in an Oct. 31 game, something seemed out of place.
â Iâm like, âMan, something is not right.â It wasnât that it was hurting much, and I had a dang broken hand,â the senior from Hoover said. âThis (left ring finger) knuckle is about two inches down from where it normally is.â
That may have been enough to slow most folks down, but McKissack â who finished the ULM game and played in Troyâs two games since -- is not a normal person.
He has overcome a lot more -- about 50 pounds more -- to actually have a successful FBS career.
McKissack is not the prototypical size for an offensive lineman in major college football. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 256 pounds, SEC schools like Alabama have often had linebackers bigger than that.
Yet the âdiminutiveâ center, who routinely faces defensive linemen 25 to 50 pounds heavier than he is, started the first nine games this year. Through the Trojansâ first 10 games, McKissack graded out as the Trojansâ best offensive lineman.
With the size disadvantage, McKissack displayed incredible work ethic to reach the point he has. His collegiate football career began at Division II North Alabama, but a couple of connections lured him to Troy following his freshman year there.
â One of my (Hoover) coaches had gotten a job here as quarterbacks coach, (The HC we don’t speak of) (The HC we don’t speak of). Thatâs really how I started getting engaged with Troy University as far as an opportunity,â McKissack said.
Another connection existed â an interesting one to Troy long snapper Kendall Gibson. The two met in Japan while preparing for a high school all-star game.
â He was the first person I called when I got down here. I was like, âMan, how do I get around here?ââ McKissack said. âHe said, âMan, itâs not that hard. Itâs one big square.ââ (Full Article)
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