2007 NFL Draft: Marshal Yanda Takes Flight With Ravens

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz tutored offensive linemen for six years in the NFL before taking over the Hawkeye football program. He knows a good tackle or guard when he sees one.

Ferentz says Marshal Yanda is one of the best he's ever seen play at the college level. That's high praise, and Yanda hopes he can live up to it with a solid NFL career. He'll get his chance after being drafted in the third round of this spring's NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

At an even 6-feet in height and 307 pounds, Yanda knows his professional future will likely include playing guard.

"I'm better suited to guard because I'm really not tall enough to play tackle in the NFL," he explains.

Yanda didn't follow the most popular path from high school to the NFL. He played just two seasons for the Hawkeyes. He first attended North Iowa Area Community College for two years before joining the Hawkeyes, where he started 24 consecutive games.

Yanda (#73) practices during Ravens rookie camp on May 4 in Owings Mills, MD.

"Going to Iowa from community college was a great experience for me. It was definitely a huge dream of mine," says Yanda. "When I was in community college I just hoped I could make it to Division I. I'm proof that if you chase a dream it can come true. I just want to keep playing football in the fall."

He's quick to credit Ferentz and the rest of the Iowa coaching staff for getting him ready for the NFL. But they also offered much-needed academic guidance.

"My coaches were a huge factor in my success, both on and off the field," he says.

As a lineman, Yanda knows all about the constant battle between enough weight to play the position with strength and too much weight, which slows down your footwork. He says the key, for him, is to watch the diet.

"I make sure to lift and eat right," he says. "That's really important. Your weight will always fluctuate a little, but you can keep it under control by eating right and lifting well."

Sometimes eating right isn't easy to do, but Yanda says it's worth it for a shot at the NFL. Football, after all, is what he loves - and there's no place he'd rather play than on the offensive line.

"I like being physical and aggressive," he discloses. "I love the physicalness of football. I love the battle up front. That battle with the defensive line is where the war is won and lost. That's the best part of the game."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.