The Big Guys - Top returning prep o-line players by Jimmy Touchet - posted Thursday, June 21st, 2012 @ 12:00 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  As we approach the dog days of summer, the Ouachita Citizen is gearing up for the upcoming prep football season by taking an in depth look at the top recruits for the Class of 2013. Starting this week, we will look at the top college prospects by position in the parish and state every week leading up to our 2012 Football Preview which will be released and distributed the week of the opening Jamborees. As all coaches and football experts will tell you, a successful offensive unit begins up front with the big guys. With this thought in mind, we will kick off our prep preview with the offensive linemen. We have gathered information from some of the state's top recruiting experts at www.louisianaprepinsider.com, www.dandydon.com and www.pelicanpreps.com and come up with a list of the "Blue Chippers" for our state and parish that are sure to be high on every college coach's wish list come next year. It is not secret that an offensive lineman is the ultimate team player. A successful offensive lineman must possess an unique humble approach to the game. Most offensive linemen hate to hear their name and number announced over the PA because it usually means that they did something wrong. These selfless guys are the meat and potatoes of any great football program. In Northeast Louisiana, we have been blessed to produce some of the best crop of offensive linemen in the country. If you look at the genesis of the LSU football resurgence in the early 2000s, it began with a crew of Northeast Louisiana's best of the best offensive linemen. At one time, LSU's offensive line consisted of Neville's Rob Sale, Ouachita Christian's Eric Edwards and Rudy Niswanger and West Monroe's Andrew Whitworth, Brad Smalling and Rodney Reed. When analyzing offensive linemen, you have to make note that there arefive (in some cases six – if you consider the tight end) very distinct positions that make up a successful offensive line. These positions are Right Tackle, Right Guard, Center, Left Guard, Left Tackle and Tight End. "When you look at an offensive lineman after their playing career, many of these guys go on to be CEOs, business leaders, politicians because they understand what it takes to be a part of team," said West Ouachita coach Joey Pender. "These young men are the kind of guysthat you can hang your hat on. They are intelligent guys that could care less about who scored just as long as the team wins. That is why they are so successful." Photo courtesy of LSU. Photo caption: FORMER LSU TIGER ANDREW WHITWORTH - Northeast Louisiana has a history of producing some the best offensive linemen in the country. During LSU's climb back into the top tier football programs in the country in the early 2000's, it was behind an offensive line that consisted of products from Ouachita Parish such as West Monroe's Whitworth, Brad Smalling and Rodney Reed, Neville's Rob Sale, Ouachita Christian's Eric Edwards and Rudy Niswanger. For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!