CONWAY -- University of Central Arkansas Coach Steve Campbell looks for offensive linemen who understand the practical application of weapons of mass destruction.
Campbell serves as UCA's head coach first, but he is also the team's offensive line coach. Consequently, he spends significant time with centers, guards, and tackles, and his current unit of blockers have not forgotten one of his early messages. Senior left tackle Cade Camp of Allen, Texas, and right guard Gilberto Garcia of Morrilton, both recently named to the All-Southland Conference first team, recently recalled a meeting in which Campbell tried to explain the importance of using everything available to finish the job at hand.
According to Campbell, the idea of overkill is sometimes an asset.
Garcia, on track to graduate in December with a master's degree in business administration, said Campbell addressed a roomful of offensive linemen, with he and Camp included. Garcia said Campbell emphasized the value of maintaining blocks throughout the play, not just when the ball carrier passes the blocker and his opponent.
"The analogy he gave was, 'If you wanted to kill a cockroach and make sure you killed it, what would you do?'" Garcia said. "Everyone in the room said, 'Well, we'd stomp on it.
"Coach said, 'No.' He yells, 'No! I would take out a hundred-thousand-dollar loan for a nuclear bomb, clear out the area, and bomb it like crazy.' He was getting at, make sure you go all the way. Make sure you finish the job."
UCA (10-1, 9-0 Southland Conference) is the No. 4 seed in the FCS playoffs. The Bears received a bye through the first round and will play New Hampshire, 14-0 first-round winners Saturday over Central Connecticut State, in the second round at Estes Stadium in Conway on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
UCA ranked second among the 11 Southland teams in points scored (37.6 per game) and yards gained (468.2). Those figures rank sixth and seventh, respectively, among the 123 FCS schools.
Campbell knows offensive success follows its line.
"Anyone, any fan who studies the game, I think they know that without a line, you're toast," Campbell said. "You can be as good as you want everywhere else, but if your line is bad on either side, offensive or defensive, you're wasting time."
Camp said he appreciates that players along the offensive side have started to receive more credit.
"It's cool to see that people have that kind of respect for us," Camp said. "It's cool, but we try to keep ourselves down to earth and just go out and play hard."
UCA's starting offensive line has been manned much of the season by Camp, Garcia, senior center Micah Parten of Flowood, Miss., junior tackle John Austin Cook of Grenada, Miss., and freshman guard Adrian Harris, of Tyler, Texas.
Camp and Garcia were signed by former head coach Clint Conque who was replaced by Campbell before spring drills in 2014. Cade and Garcia said they learned early that Campbell would become, not only their head coach, but also their position coach.
Camp said he became immediately anxious.
"I thought, 'Wow. I've never heard of that,' " Camp said. "It made me nervous. Usually, you don't have that kind of relationship with the head coach. He's usually the guy just watching over everybody, but we deal with him every single day."
Garcia said it didn't take long for Campbell to win the linemen over.
"He's a really good offensive line coach," Garcia said. "For him to be our head coach and position coach, there aren't too many people who can say that. He knows what it takes, and that's another reason we've been so good. Coach Campbell has had so much experience. If it weren't for him, I don't think we'd be this good."
Campbell said despite his career-long offensive-line emphasis, he has made it a point in 19 years as a head coach to show no preference for any particular position or unit on any of his teams.
"We're all in this thing together," Campbell said. "I think I have a much better opportunity as an offensive line guy to bring us all together than if I didn't coach a position. If you don't coach a position, you might show favoritism in one over the other. I don't know how or why, but I've always been able to bring everyone together, and I have always attributed that to a large part of our success. It's all I've ever known."
Sports on 11/26/2017