UW football: Moffitt savors chance to learn new position
Before spring practice officially got underway for the University of Wisconsin football team Saturday morning, John Moffitt sat inside a McClain Center meeting room and took a mental snapshot of seven words written on the board by one of his coaches.
Become a better student of the game.
A few hours later, Moffitt stood outside the Badgers' locker room and could barely contain himself as he offered his account of how the opening practice went.
Keep in mind, the Badgers were in helmets and shorts. So Moffitt's excitement had nothing to do with a return to some physical play in the trenches after a two-month layoff.
What had Moffitt smiling was everything he had learned during the two-hour practice. For a casual observer on the sidelines, the repetitions can get old in a hurry. For Moffitt, each one was fascinating in its own little way as he learns a new position.
Ask Moffitt to name the biggest difference between playing left guard -- his old position -- and center, and he doesn't hesitate to say the mental aspect. Hence his desire to become a better student of the game.
"Really knowing your stuff is important," said Moffitt, who will be a third-year sophomore in the fall. "Because when it comes down to it, you're the general, you're making the calls, the final call is on you. Also, if something goes wrong, the final blame's with you."
Moffitt earned positive reviews as a freshman last season at left guard, where he started the last six games. The offensive line was more athletic with Moffitt in the lineup. The coaching staff also liked his toughness and demeanor. And his intelligence, which is one of the reasons they gave him some reps at center in bowl practice when the search began to replace two-year starter Marcus Coleman.
"During bowl practice they brought it up and they said, 'How would you feel about snapping the ball?' " Moffitt said. "I said, 'For sure, I'll give it a try.' I really enjoy it."
While Moffitt is listed No. 1 on the depth chart at center, even he admits that doesn't mean much right now. Sophomore Brad Thorson is listed behind him; sophomore Bill Nagy and freshman Jake Current will get reps this spring; and junior Jake Bscherer even took some snaps during offseason workouts.
"It's a long way until fall," Moffitt said.
That's good news for Moffitt, who will take as much time as he can get to learn the position.
The process may have started during bowl prep, but it heated up when the Badgers began offseason workouts a few weeks after their loss to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.
When Moffitt was finished with conditioning and lifting weights, he would spend some time on snapping the ball to the quarterback. It's not as easy as it looks, especially considering Moffitt had never played center -- not even in pee-wee football.
There were so many things for Moffitt to get used to, not the least of which was another man's hands touching his rear end. Yes, he flinched the first couple times.
Complicating matters was the fact that five players are in the mix at quarterback, each with his own unique hand positioning and preference for where he'd like the ball snapped.
Finally, once Moffitt snaps the ball, he has to quickly get in position to make a block. It's just one more thing that he had to think about when he played guard.
"It was tough to get used to," Moffitt said. "You feel awkward. Now it's starting to feel more natural and, hopefully, you just keep doing it and it's something that's going to become a second-nature type of a thing."
Even an inexperienced center like Moffitt will tell you the most important part of his position is what happens before the snap. That's why these spring practices are so stimulating for Moffitt, because he wants to get better at things like reading defensive fronts and looking for tips on when an opponent might be blitzing.
UW offensive line coach Bob Bostad is quick to point out that the center, whether it's Moffitt or someone else, won't be expected to shoulder the entire load. Especially since the starting guards are expected to be experienced seniors Kraig Urbik (39 career starts) and Andy Kemp (23 career starts).
"Having two senior guards next year who are going to be vocal is important," said Bostad, who moved over from tight ends coach after Bob Palcic joined the UCLA staff. "My big thing is, let's not just put it all on the center's shoulders here."
Still, the transition to center has given Moffitt an even greater appreciation for the work of Coleman, who started 26 consecutive games the last two seasons.
"I'll tell you one thing, I appreciated what he did before, because I couldn't tell you how much he helped me out with assignments and the mental aspect of the game," said Moffitt, who lined up alongside Coleman those last six games of 2007. "I always knew Marcus was an intelligent football player. He really had the game down pat."
Moffitt hopes to get to that point someday. To that end, he'll treat these spring practices as if he's in the classroom.
"I still have a lot to learn," he said. "I have to get smarter as a football player."
jpolzin@madison.com
