Central Michigan University Athletics
Getting Down to Business Up Front
4/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- In the trenches, familiarity comes quickly.
That's the way it is on the offensive line, where that familiarity translates to all-important cohesiveness. The introductions between new Central Michigan offensive line coach Derek Frazier and his charges are well in the rearview mirror.
"It's really about setting the expectation of what you want it to look like and every day working toward it," Frazier said Thursday after the Chippewas completed a practice at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. "They already have a high expectations so that was the easy part, so now it's just making sure that everyone gets the understanding that we are working together, right, wrong, or indifferent, we are working together, and everything we do that kind of just has to be built in."
While the man in charge is new, there is plenty of continuity up front as several veterans who have either started or logged significant playing time throughout their careers return, led by All-Mid-American Conference center Nick Beamish and tackles Ramadan Ahmenti and Kenny Rogers.
"We've got a great unit," said Frazier, who brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to CMU, most recently as the offensive line coach at Colorado State. "They work hard, they compete and that's what you want.
"You have Ramadan and Nick Beamish and Kenny. Those guys, their veteran leadership, you can see that they are carrying on the tradition and it has been poured into them from the guys before and they are pouring it into the guys now."
CMU does, indeed, have a strong tradition on the offensive line having sent several on to the NFL, including Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and Joe Staley, a multi-time All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers.
"You look at the pictures on the wall and see the tradition here at Central, it's humbling and it's a great tradition," Frazier said. "You have to set your bar high to carry that tradition forward, build on it. ... You wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
There is a learning curve with a new coach, and he is putting his stamp on things. The mantra, Frazier said, is Fanatical Finish.
"It's a learning process right now," he said. "We are learning, we are competing and trying to play fast and physical.
"You talk about being fanatical, you talk about being relentless, you know, what we do and how we do it, it has to become our personality, you know, and what our image is, and everything that we do. It's everything from when the play is over, between the whistles, being fanatical, and hustling down field, giving great effort, and finishing our blocks."
