Top Offensive Linemen Era Poll Results
While I had a hard time choosing who to include in my rankings, the fans did not have a hard time choosing their favorite era in Troy history for Offensive Linemen. The fans, however, seemed to have made their choice clear.
Remember, in this particular list, individual players were not ranked, but the eras they played in. This was due to the lack of statistics in the offensive linemen categories.
We will unveil these from 4 to 1, so let’s begin.
#4 – The Gulf South Conference Era (5.3%)
In a somewhat surprising vote, the conference era which was known for effective running of the football was last place in this poll. Despite Troy’s two national championships during this era, along with 6 GSC titles, the GSC was not able to pull ahead of any of the other conferences.
Player Perspective
Of the players included for this era, I reached out to a few and was able to speak with Mitch Geier. Geier was a two-time All-GSC selection in 1983 & 1984 and was an All-American in 1984.
On his inclusion in this list, he mentioned that he was “honored and very humbled that after all these years, someone would think that highly of me.”
Geier stated his favorite memory of his time in Troy was “Without a doubt, winning a National Championship and the lifelong friends that I have still today.”
Geier hopes that his lasting impact on Troy is to show players and fans how to be appreciative and humble.
#3 – The Sun Belt Conference Era (21.1%)
The Trojans’ newest conference has produced tons of great talent, but didn’t seem to generate a lot of votes. Linemen play during the Sun Belt era has changed over the past 15 years with Troy shifting from a run-first offense to a more pass-happy approach. This change happened in 2006 with the hiring of Tony Franklin.
The Trojans of the SBC era are tied with GSC with the most conference titles at 6. It also must be stated that the Sun Belt is arguably the toughest era in Troy history when looking at the level of their opponents in FBS.
Player Perspective
When informed of his inclusion on this list, Deontae Crumitie, a 2017 & 2018 All-Sun Belt Selection, said, “It’s amazing. I didn’t know people really looked at me in my position that much. It’s a huge honor to have that and to come back to one of the best fan bases and be able to be noticed walking around Tailgate Terrace.”
Crumitie stated his favorite memory was “winning a championship and bringing it back to Troy. I also enjoyed playing in New Orleans. Our fans and school took over the entire city “
I asked Crumitie what the level of competition was like in the Sun Belt. He said, “I felt that the Sun Belt had the most talent versus teams out of conference. It’s like we play harder than others. My guess is that it’s because we all have a point to prove!
He added, “The Offensive Line was great at Troy. We made it a challenge to try and score as many points and wanted to run more than anything. That’s what Coach Moore instilled in us to do our job as fast and as hard as we can. We challenged each other every week from practice to game day and also heavily criticized each other in the film room. No one was scared to call each other out.”
Most of all, Crumitie wanted to leave Troy knowing he carried himself in a good way and was humble. He also misses the family atmosphere of working each day with his teammates.
#2 Independents and Others (31.6%)
The Independents and Others category was one of the smaller, but it ended up ranking second overall. This covered periods where Troy did not have conference affiliation, as well as, other conferences like the Alabama Collegiate Conference and the Alabama Intercollegiate Conference, which didn’t include All-Conference awards.
All of these eras would have featured a more run heavy offense, requiring more brutal blocking from the linemen. Something that required a lot more physicality from the offensive line.
#1 – The Southland Conference Era (42.1%)
Troy’s first D-I conference lands at first place in this poll. The Trojans faced stiff competition in what is now FCS and needed stellar line play to protect quarterbacks like Kelvin Simmons. This was needed to carry over their D-II success to the next level.
Troy was able to win the Southland three times, make the FCS Playoffs 4 times, and amassed a 46-16 record in their five years in the league.
Player Perspective
This sentiment is echoed by former Trojan Blake Carruthers (1997-00) who said, “The Southland Conference was a very physical conference week in and week out. To play in this Conference, you had to play through injuries to help you team win.”
I also asked Carruthers about his time in Troy. He said he felt honored to be included with the best offensive linemen in Troy history. Carruthers’ place was already sealed by his on-field performance, earning 2000 All-America honors as well as, 1999 and 2000 All-Southland honors.
When I asked him about his experiences at Troy, he said his favorite memory was a game against Cincinnati. “[We traveled] to Cincinnati and beat them on their home field. The following week Cincinnati beat Wisconsin. This was when Ron Dayne played and won the Heisman in 2000.”
On the impact Troy left on him, Carruthers said, “Coach Larry Blakeney definitely left a lasting impact on me. He loved coaching football and was a player’s coach. All the players knew that Coach Blakeney wanted the best for his players.”
As for his impact on Troy, he simply hopes fans remember him as not simply a good football player, but a leader on and off the field.
The Offensive Line sets the tone for the offense in each game and allows them to work. It’s safe to say Troy has been lucky to have such great talent for such a long time. Let me know in the comments or @BenOnSports on Twitter what you think.
Next up is the Defensive Line, a truly remarkable unit in Troy’s history.