Face of the Organization an O-Lineman?
 

I was watching the Tony Boselli retirement press conference from last month tonight as I was browsing the Jags videos because I wanted to look at what Shack had to say about the three draftees, and then I just stayed and watched another couple of videos.

I remember the Boselli years with such strength. He was the player of which Jags fans were most proud. We had the best Offensive Tackle playing in the game, and possibly the best offensive lineman playing at the time. Boseilli was the player that the expansion team was built around. When other teams were taking QBs and whatnot, the Jags took an offensive lineman. He was the spirit and the soul of the Jaguars.

He was the face of the organization as an offensive lineman.

That led me to think, has any other team ever had a period where the face of the organization wasn't a cornerback, or a running back or a wide receiver or a quarterback but an O-lineman?


The only one I could think of was maybe Anthony Munoz, but I wasn't a football fan then, so I wouldn't know for sure. Was Munoz the face of the Bengals and the fan fav player or was someone else?


Are there others?



-Anxiety

Maybe Boomer Esiason.

Jonathon Ogdon, early on?

It's hard to say, I can think of several elite OLs who maybe for a two or three year period may have been the absolute best player on the team, but the face of hte organization? Not many come to mind... They're rather unappreciated.

You'd have to throw in Orlando Pace and Walter Jones if that were the case... all short periods.

Edit to add - and I guess if the guys are still with the teams, they really aren't the face of the organization if they get no recogniztion for it now...

The Washington Redskins and the Hogs.

75-77 St Louis Cardinals & Conrad Dobler?

Dermotti Dawson? Hard to say, man, those mid to late 80s steelers teams sucked.

In a way, Willie Roaf was kind of the face of the Saints for a few years. After Jim Everett left, the Saints went for a long while without a real quarterback (Billy Joe platoon ahoy!), and there wasn't much of a running game either. Roaf was the only consistent performer on offense.

If not Willie Roaf, then it was Morten Andersen around that time. I think Roaf back around 1995-2000 was about as close as you'd get to an OL being the face of an organization in the NFL recently, besides Boselli. Perhaps I'm just forgetting somebody, but he's who came to mind for me.

Well, was it so much Ogdon dropping in talent? Or Ray Lewis making a huge name for himself?

John Hannah for New England. Best case I can think of.

Bruce Armstrong for the Patriots.

John Hannah in New England qualifies

Munoz was a fan favorite and an absolute stud, but not the face of the team

Tony Mandarich was the face of a draft (and draft busts)

DT Cortez Kennedy for the Seattle Seahawks was pretty unusual.

I always thought Brunell when I thought of the Jaguars, though. Him and Kevin Hardy, I guess Boselli, too. Damn, i hate it when the Steelers have to go down there and play. You ready for Teal Night?

:)