Illini have a lot on the (offensive) line
CHAMPAIGN -- It's difficult to put a label on Illinois offensive line coach Eric Wolford.
Mischievous taskmaster, perhaps?
When Wolford is on the practice field, a fierce glint in his eye and a dip of smokeless tobacco in his lower lip, the former Kansas State lineman cajoles maximum effort from his guys.
"We came into this season with a mission to prove we're a worthy group, a better group than people recognized us for," Wolford said. "We felt like we had something to prove."
The results in his first year at Illinois speak for themselves.
The offensive line set a school record for fewest sacks allowed (11) and paved the way for a school-record 3,194 rushing yards, and senior guard Martin O'Donnell became the first Illini lineman since Dick Butkus to win first-team All-America honors.
But Wolford's value to the Illini doesn't begin and end on the field, which is where the glint in his eye turns mischievous and his guy's guy persona pays off.
He bonds with prep prospects and their coaches so well that he boasts a ridiculous batting average in the recruiting game.
The Youngstown, Ohio, native focuses on northeast Ohio and offensive linemen wherever they reside. To date, there are four linemen and three northeast Ohio natives among Illinois' 24 committed recruits -- with a few more expected to sign on soon.
Wolford connects with the current linemen, too, as he balances between being a buddy and a motivator.
One small example comes during the line's video work, when they'll review a play and Wolford labels his guys as either "Limited Editions" or "Sport Editions."
O'Donnell and right tackle Akim Millington, the line's lone seniors, are Wolford's "Limited Editions." It's not as much of a compliment as it seems.
"It does sound good," O'Donnell said. "Until he shows you an example on film where he says, 'This is why you're a Limited Edition.' Just not being as fast as (left tackle) Xavier (Fulton) or (right guard) Jon (Asamoah)."
Wolford claims being labeled as a Limited Edition is his best compliment, but only to a point.
"A lot of times, it's just a big ol' smart cruiser," Wolford said with a smile. "It's got all the bells and whistles; it performs well. But as far as getting off-road and being able to climb hills and get in the mud, you need a Sport Edition.
"You're not going to take a Limited Edition out and run it in a race. You want something that's fast and has the shocks and can be agile."
Fulton and Asamoah are perpetual members of the Sport Edition group, while second-team all-Big Ten center Ryan McDonald "fluctuates from game to game" between the groups.
"Ryan's slowly turning into a Limited Edition," O'Donnell joked. "He's turning into a hybrid."
After the Limited Editions play their final college game at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, Illinois has four prized redshirting freshmen -- Jack Cornell, Mike Garrity, Mark Jackson, Craig Wilson -- who will battle junior Eric Block and redshirt freshman Ryan Palmer for the open spots.
"Great group of kids," Wolford said. "All of them are very athletic. Those guys are all Sport Editions. We're trying to get as many Sport Editions as we can in here.
"There's room for a lot of improvement. If we can continue to improve like we have this year, we're going to have a pretty good group here for a long time."