Bowling Green State University Athletics
Anonymous: Wendel Just Wants To Do His Job For Falcons
September 13, 2002 | Football
Sept. 13, 2002
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Dennis Wendel has a thankless job.
Still, No. 78 for the Bowling Green Falcons would rather remain anonymous.
Wendel, Bowling Green's starting left tackle, knows the only time an offensive lineman gets noticed is when he misses a block or gets a penalty.
That's why Wendel wants to stay out of the spotlight. He just wants to take care of business and help the Falcons win.
Wendel will start for the 17th time in the last three years Saturday when the Falcons entertain Missouri. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. in Perry Stadium.
"His best quality is his athletic ability," said John Hevesy, a BG assistant coach who works with the offensive linemen. "He's got great feet; that's the one thing that helps him out more than anything.
"He's not just a 6-foot-8, 320-pound kid who is an oaf out there. He can do a lot of things in our offense. We can arrange things around him and what he does."
In many offensive schemes, the left tackle's main concern is protecting the backside of the quarterback.
While making sure Josh Harris or Andy Sahm don't get blindsided is important, Wendel's job description is more detailed than the typical left tackle.
"We run a lot of different stuff," Wendel said. "With having some athletic quarterbacks, we just don't sit back, five-step drop and sling the ball. We run a lot of sprint-outs and also we spread out the field, line up five receivers and run the ball up the middle with our quarterback.
"With our five offensive linemen, it's almost kind of the same job for everyone," Wendel continued. "We all protect the quarterback when we pass. We all run block when we run."
Wendel is one of three fifth-year seniors on the line along with center Jon Mazur and right guard Greg Kupke. Scott Mruczkowski, a redshirt sophomore, is in his second year as a starter at left guard. Jimmy Williams has moved in this season at right tackle.
"We get along extremely well and those guys are dear friends to me and they mean a lot to me," Wendel said about the other linemen. "I think when you have other players on the team who you care about and who you are friends with, that makes it a lot easier to play hard.
"If you are in a bad situation or make a bad play, it makes it that much easier to come out and want to do that much better the next time. You know those people are depending on you to do well."
Last season, it was the performance of those four plus Malcolm Robinson which helped the Falcons drop their quarterback sack allowed total from 51 in 2000 to 21 and produce a 125-yard improvement in total offense.
"The big stat is always quarterback sacks and quarterback pressures," Wendel said. "We don't want those defensive guys touching our quarterback ... that's why we are on the playing field. We also look at rushing yards and things of that nature."
Hevesy and the rest of the BG coaching staff were all in their first year last season and did not know what to expect from the team.
Wendel was one player who responded in a positive manner to the change.
"New blood was probably the best thing for him; his opportunities were back." Hevesy said. "He played 840 of 860 snaps a year ago or something like that, which is almost ridiculous for an offensive lineman to do.
"He's a student of the game," Hevesy added. "He has a great understanding of what goes on around him. Some of his weaknesses have become strengths because of that. He knows what's going to happen."
While Wendel likes to keep things low-key, he doesn't mind heading to the end zone after the Falcons score a touchdown.
"The biggest kick is when you are blocking someone and all of a sudden you see Joe Alls or Josh Harris or someone take off down the field," Wendel said. "Or you see Josh throw a 50-yard pass to Robert Redd and he beats everybody right to the end zone ... We see all those fast guys running right by us, but we have a nice view when they score a touchdown.
"Then we have to jog all the way down to the end zone to celebrate with them. That's the best jog in football, that's for sure."
