2007 NFL Draft: Doug Datish Centers on Center

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

Doug Datish was a part of some dominant teams at Ohio State University. He also backed up a dominant center, Nick Mangold, before taking over the role himself in Columbus.

He says he learned a lot about the position and what it takes to be great at it from Mangold, who now plays for the New York Jets.

"I learned how to be an intellectual center," says Datish, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 302 pounds. "Center is a tough position. It goes well beyond blocking. You have calls to make and you have a lot of responsibility."

There's never a shortage of prolific running backs at Ohio State, and often the backfield features different runners with different styles.

Datish (#50) lines up for a play during the game against Bowling Green on Oct. 7, 2006.

The same happens in high school frequently as well, where a hard-running fullback will be joined with a speedy tailback. As a center, does that change your approach? No, says Datish.

"Blocking for two different styles of backs doesn't really change my style any," he says. "You're still blocking the same guys. You have to open a hole either way."

In high school, Datish considered himself a defensive player. But playing defense at the varsity level and playing it for the vaunted Buckeyes are two different animals entirely. It didn't take Datish long to figure out he would be a center at OSU.

"I loved playing defense in high school, but once I got to campus and saw those guys play defense, I knew I had no chance of playing defense," says Datish. "The coaches said, 'You're moving to offense,' so I said, 'No problem.'"

Then, with a smile, Datish adds: "I did get four tackles in my career, though - but all of them were off of interceptions."

As an offensive lineman, attitude and determination are nearly as important - or maybe even more important - than size or other measureables, says Datish.

"You have to have the attitude out there that you're going to win each battle no matter what," he says. "You have to have that drive."

Datish says he needs to improve his quickness and footwork before settling into an NFL career, but has no doubts he can do that.

"I work a lot on speed and quickness, because defensive linemen are usually pretty quick," he says. "They're usually good athletes."

Though linemen at the prep level often are taught to run-block well, Datish is an advocate of honing pass blocking skills as well. Without them, he says, a kid's chances of playing college or pro ball are shot.

"It feels good to get out there and match up," he says. "You really want to improve on pass blocking and practicing that. You'll have to do it a lot more in college. It's your job to protect that quarterback. That's a major job."

Beyond that, Datish says, "just have fun. It's a great honor to play football. Enjoy it."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.