He is one of the largest men on the field, and yet he is largely overlooked. He has to recognize defensive fronts immediately and direct the rest of the offense, but credit is seldom directed his way. He is the center on the Virginia football team, and has the daunting task of protecting the welfare of the quarterback and running back, a job for which he rarely is recognized. Until now.
After four years of hard work on the line for the Cavaliers, center John St. Clair finally is garnering attention from NFL scouts. After a rough 1998 season in which he battled through injuries and didn't receive Conference honors like he did in 1997 when he was named to the All-ACC second team, St. Clair has emerged as a dominant player, instrumental in running back Thomas Jones' record-breaking year.
"I think he should be an All-American at center," Jones said. "The center's the captain of the line and tells the guys beside him what to do ... You have to know so many defenses and he's played well all year. He's the best center in the country."
The many records broken by Jones this year have drawn national attention to the offensive line of the Cavs, as the team has posted solid rushing numbers against some of the top defensive lines in the game. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that the Cavaliers don't boast a terribly strong passing game to keep defensemen honest.
"It's tough because the defense knows [the run] is coming," St. Clair said. "You've just got to think you can push them out anyway."
St. Clair's strong showing this season also has elevated his draft status. He is being mentioned by scouts as a possible first- or second-round choice. Not bad for a former high school tight end and defensive lineman who switched to center at Cav Coach George Welsh's suggestion.
But don't worry that this sudden success is going to St. Clair's head. The mild-mannered 6-foot-5, 295-pound Roanoke native keeps his eyes and his feet on the ground.
"My mom tells me that if you work hard, a lot comes to you," St. Clair said. "Some say I'll [be drafted] in the first round, some say the second. I'm not worried about that right now."
Talking to St. Clair away from the field, clad in a sweatsuit and wire-frame glasses, it's hard to picture him possessing the fiery competitiveness necessary to blow 290-pound linemen off the ball. But Jones, who lives with St. Clair, says his roommate is not the same once he steps onto the turf.
"John has a mean streak on the field, which is strange because off the field he's so laid-back," he said. "I was watching game tape once and saw him choking some guy on the field, then he jumped on him when he was on the ground. He said later that the guy had made him mad."
During the upcoming week of practice, Welsh said he hopes the intensity St. Clair and the rest of the Cavs displayed against Georgia Tech can be maintained against lowly Buffalo Saturday.
"I don't know why this game is any different," he said. "You never know. They can screw it up. Hell, the scout team makes them look bad sometimes and Buffalo's better than the scout team."
But focus shouldn't be a problem for St. Clair, who toils for everything he gets.
"You don't get much recognition at center," he said. "So I try to go out and show that I can outwork those other guys. I want Jones to win the Heisman - that's my goal."
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