Playing one of only two positions that touches the football on every play has its pressures and perks. It's a dichotomy familiar to Notre Dame center John Sullivan, who enters next month's NFL Draft with 33 college starts on the offensive line.
"Playing center is very important," Sullivan said at the Scouting Combine. "The mental and the physical sides of football -- I don't think one's more important than the other. I think they have to work together."
Sullivan figures to have an advantage in football intelligence. He's been around the professional game for much of his life -- he attended the same high school as Hall of Famer Steve Young -- and he played at Notre Dame under former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.
"There's no (nonsense) with Coach Weis," Sullivan said when asked about his coach's approach. "He tells you how it is. He expects a lot from you, but at the same time, he cares about his players and he's the type of guy you want to work hard for."
Sullivan went on to say a heavy Patriots influence made its way into practices and games. But last season was tough to compare New England-- winners of three of the last seven Super Bowls -- to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish struggled to a 3-9 finish.
"There was never a point where we gave up on our season; we were in it to the end and we were totally focused on finishing successfully," Sullivan said last month. "At the same time I feel like, you know, getting to the Combine and preparing for the NFL is the dream that everyone has as a football player. This has been an important event that I've been looking forward to for a long time.
"I came back to win, but you know, we were given the opportunity to win every game and we just didn't go out and get it done. It doesn't diminish the reason I came back or how I feel about my decision. I came back to win games. We didn't have much success, but that's why you play the game."
Regarded as one of the more technically-sound interior linemen in this year's Draft, Sullivan is ranked as the third-best center according to NFLDraftScout.com. He helped his case at the Combine, finishing among the best in the 20-yard shuttle and vertical jump -- a measurement of his explosiveness. The Irish may have fallen off in the run game last season but, in 2006, Sullivan played on an offensive line that cleared the way for close to 2,000 net rushing yards.
With the departure of quarterback Brady Quinn, Sullivan took over more responsibility in blocking adjustments at the line of scrimmage last season.
"Obviously the center usually has a lot of responsibility with setting the front, identifying the (middle) linebacker, things of that nature -- you know just being able to understand the defense and see what's going on helps you to anticipate what's coming," he said. "If you have an idea of what's coming you're able to do your job a lot more effectively."
The marketing major's understanding of pro-style offenses also makes him an interesting prospect, though he knows he must be more versatile if he wants to be successful at the next level.
That's where the pressure comes in.
Sullivan said he's only practiced at guard and hasn't played anything other than center in a game. When it comes to competition, however, there's few players that can match his diverse background.
"I miss competing in every sport that I've played," said the former wrestler, polo and rugby player. "I have big background, a very diverse background in athletics, I think I'm fortunate for that; it really helped me really find what I was passionate about. And that was football."
RELATED LINKS:
- O-LINE: Previewing the offensive line
- PHOTOS: Photos of some of the 2008 NFL Draft prospects
- NFL DRAFT: Draft coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- SCOUTING COMBINE: AF.com at the Scouting Combine
- SENIOR BOWL: AF.com at the Senior Bowl
