‘Silent and Strong’
Tackle Josh Koerkenmeier doesn’t steal the spotlight — instead, he gives it to others
By Jesse Newell
Friday, October 6, 2006
Fans don’t rush to Josh Koerkenmeier after the game. Television cameras don’t either.
No one thinks about it most of the time — how the hole opened up so big for El Ray Henry, or how Ben Purkeypile had so much time to find the open receiver.
Koerkenmeier knows why, but it isn’t something he talks a whole lot about. As he watches his teammates give interviews, he could be bitter. He could be upset.
Instead, he is proud. It’s a sign, to him, that he has performed well — even if not many people in the crowd know it.
“They don’t really see what you’ve been doing. They kind of run to the guys they see with the ball,” Koerkenmeier said. “It’s all right, though. I know we get credit from our guys.”
For Emporia State coach Dave Wiemers, it’s not a shame that Koerkenmeier plays right tackle. Teams need good tackles.
Instead, it’s a shame that he doesn’t get more credit for his exceptional play.
“You just don’t hear from him often enough,” Wiemers said. “That’s too bad because he’s a really good offensive lineman. People should know about him. He’s an all-conference-type player.”
Last year, in fact, he was an all-conference player, earning All-MIAA honorable mention after starting every game for ESU.
This year, according to coaches, he’s been even better.
The ESU staff reviews game film every week, giving each of the lineman point values based on alignment, assignment and effort.
Grades are out of 100, and scores in the 90s are extremely rare.
It’s the range where Koerkenmeier has routinely found himself on the grading chart this season.
“What’s perfect? I’m not sure there is such a thing on the offensive line,” Wiemers said. “But he is grading out very high. He is not missing any assignments mentally.”
Described by Wiemers as “silent and strong,” Koerkenmeier has been the model of consistency on this year’s offensive line.
Though he’s not a dominating force that constantly tips defenders over and puts them on their backs, Wiemers said Koerkenmeier is one that will always have good body positioning and be on the correct side of the block.
He also has been athletic enough, along with left tackle Matt Ferris, to handle extra responsibilities not normally given to ESU’s outside linemen. This includes hook blocking — or having the tackle take a fast step outside to block and seal the defender inside on a running play — against defensive ends that position themselves on the outside of the offensive linemen.
“We haven’t had tackles that have been able to do that for a few years now,” Wiemers said. “It’s just another reason why we’re able to move the ball better, when your tackles can do things like that.”
Still, it’s hard for many to recognize the good play from the 282-pounder, as his contributions often go unnoticed.
The big men on campus seem to hardly ever become the “Big Men on Campus.”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Koerkenmeier said. “Most offensive linemen aren’t in it for the glory. It’s just kind of to get your job done. If you’re an offensive lineman, you’ve probably been an offensive lineman your whole life. You kind of know how it’s going to go.”
It’s not always a glamorous lifestyle down in the trenches.
In fact, Koerkenmeier said there is only one sure-fire way to tell if he is doing well.
It’s the times when he hears nothing from coaches.
“It’s a good thing if you don’t hear your name called,” Koerkenmeier said. “If you’re not getting yelled at, then you’re obviously not doing anything wrong. You don’t get a whole lot of recognition from (coaches) all the time either, but as long as they’re not yelling at you, you’ve done something right.”
Wiemers said Koerkenmeier was one who often received the silent treatment. The coach said during Sunday film sessions, offensive coordinator Jon Wiemers frequently mentioned that Koerkenmeier was not standing out in a negative way.
“Nobody noticed if he was doing any good or not,” Dave Wiemers said. “He just usually gets that done.”
Koerkenmeier will never get his satisfaction from the TV cameras. He won’t get it from masses of fans rushing to him after the game.
But it doesn’t mean he isn’t proud of what he’s accomplished.
“The running backs and quarterbacks — they tell you good job. They give you a lot of credit for what you’re doing,” Koerkenmeier said. “It means a whole lot more when your running back comes and says, ‘Good job,’ compared to someone in the crowd.”
He might not be in the spotlight, but he has done a pretty good job of putting others there this year.
Koerkenmeier doesn’t mind it. It’s all just part of the job description.
“I think all of us across the offensive line are the same way. We’d rather see those guys get the attention,” Koerkenmeier said. “That means we’re doing our job.”