So You Wanna Be A College Linemen? DII Edition

This series will cover Offensive Linemen on multiple levels of college football as we take a deeper dive into what it takes to be a college football player. From the food, and fun-filled visits as a recruit, to the reality of your first fall camp as a college player. Many of the Power five programs have a lot of content and media out on “day in the life” of players and what being on campus is like. Even though most of the “small schools” don't get as much coverage it leaves a lot of people wondering what is actually like to play college football at all levels. Stay tuned to learn about the dedication, preparation, & time it takes to play this game at all levels of college football.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>   First up for our interview series is [player_tooltip player_id='65441' first='Marvin' last='Phipps']( 6'2" 300lbs) redshirt freshman guard for Mckendree University. Marvin is a Chicago native and he played high school football at Curie High School, he was ranked on our top Linemen in 2021 class.   Q & A with [player_tooltip player_id='65441' first='Marvin' last='Phipps']   What made you choose Mckendree University?   Marvin: "I loved the small campus vibe coming from the big city. I really loved the environment, and the family feel of the team. The town really supports the university and plus the great academics."   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-default"/>   What was the most significant transition from HS to College?   Marvin: "The preparation and dealing with the college schedule of taking care of your class work and being a ball player. In high school I just sort of showed up, in college you have to be prepared every step of the way both on and off the field. I developed this saying that I live by “Attack the day, dont let it attack you”.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   What does your day look like as a college football player?   Marvin: "Morning-Practice at 6:50am for two hours then after practice I eat then head to class. After class I head to meetings or a lift. I am a RA here at the university so I have to make sure I keep things in order with my residents. Around 4pm we have a team meeting then we watch film to prepare for next day and opponent. That ends around 7pm then I head back home and take care of my homework, so that is a nice work day."    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   How do you prepare for games now? Is it different than in high school?   Marvin: "It is way different than high school. In college, you are going against so many different defenses and fronts. In the game we played in last week they changed fronts every series, and you have to recognize what they are doing. We spend a lot of time watching a lot of film and getting our game plan in order. I like to practice my footwork and go through walk thru so I do not have to think as much and I can play fast on gameday. Before the game, I go through my routine of getting taped and make sure I am stretched out but also, playing the game in my head through scenarios so I am ready."    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   What do you know now about college football that you wish you knew as a high school senior?   Marvin: "I came in not thinking that I could compete with these guys, so I overworked myself in the beginning. I did not have a lot of confidence so coming out of high school I wish I would've known playing college football is a gift, and it's a reason why you are here. Everyone here can play ball and I can actually compete with these guys, win reps and show who I am. It is really a mental battle, it is way more mental than it is physical. "   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   Everyone talks about D1 or nothing. How has your experience been playing Division II football that you want to share with others?   Marvin: "Honestly I kinda looked down on Division 2 ball, I thought I was going to play D1 and that I was better than everybody. At the same time, you learn your lesson quickly, a lot of these guys can ball, most of these guys can ball, and a lot of the teams are good. Some guys are bigger, taller, faster, and longer, but these guys can play ball. No matter what division you are in you will have to be prepared regardless. "   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>   We would Like to thank Marvin for taking the time out of his hectic day as a student-athlete to speak to us at Prep Redzone about his experiences. This is just the first installment of the interview series as I will continue to take a deep dive into the lives of the un-sung unknown heroes of college football. My experiences of going from Michigan State university as a player to transferring to a "small school" in division II Fort Lewis was very enlightening for me to see just how competitive DII football is. Thank you for reading and stay tuned as I will be covering all levels NAIA-FCS, and remember to follow myself and The O-Line Lab on twitter for all your O-Line needs.

This series will cover Offensive Linemen on multiple levels of college football as we take a deeper dive into what it takes to be a college football player. From the food, and fun-filled visits as a recruit, to the reality of your first fall camp as a college player. Many of the Power five programs have a lot of content and media out on “day in the life” of players and what being on campus is like. Even though most of the “small schools” don't get as much coverage it leaves a lot of people wondering what is actually like to play college football at all levels. Stay tuned to learn about the dedication, preparation, & time it takes to play this game at all levels of college football.