.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Culp Has Found His Niche
October 28, 2005 | Football
Oct. 28, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Jon Culp has found his niche this season.
After bouncing around on the offensive line for four years, Culp, a 6-feet-6, 290-pound fifth-year senior, is Bowling Green's starting center. Culp and his teammates look to regain their winning ways Saturday against Akron. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. in Perry Stadium.
"I'm playing the best I've been playing since I've been here," Culp said. "It's definitely something that I've been working on for a while and I was able to finally pull it off."
Culp was originally recruited as a tight end. He started two games at left tackle in 2003 and was an offensive guard. He was moved to the backup role behind starting center Scott Mruczkowski last season when John Lanning was hurt.
After a spirited battle with Lanning through spring practice, summer conditioning and fall workouts, Culp emerged as the starter. He's seen the majority of the playing time this season.
"I was just going hard all the time," Culp said about the August practice sessions. "When I was out there on the field, I wanted to make a difference in the outcome of the games. I was just trying to go hard and be consistent and I think it paid off in the end."
Culp was hampered by a broken arm early in his BG career, Greg Studrawa, BG's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, said.
"He lost a lot of strength," Studrawa said. "The pin didn't heal right, so he really lost what amounted to a year in the weight room. For a lineman, those first two years are critical.
"Now I think he's finally caught up. He's as strong as he's ever been and he's the best athlete of the bunch up front."
The fact that Culp was able to earn a starting spot excites Studrawa.
"The kid has persevered through a ton of things," Studrawa said. "I love to see a senior come through. When you have a good football team, your seniors should be playing the best football of their careers and that's true with Jon.
"He's a guy some of the younger kids look up to because he's not the flashy guy or the guy who has started a bunch," Studrawa added. "When they see him have some success, that lets them get through some challenges. That's been a tremendous help."
The experience of playing everywhere on the line is a plus for Culp this fall.
"He knew the system," Studrawa said. "He was able to help Derrick (Markray, BG's starting right guard) and Drew (Nystrom, BG's starting right tackle). He knows all three positions."
The most difficult thing for Culp was learning to make the snap while also getting the blocking schemes down. In BG's shotgun formation, the quarterback is lined up five yards behind the center.
"I struggled with it a little bit. It was something I worked on over the summer and tried to get better at," Culp said.
Culp is also an outstanding student. He was named the top male junior scholar-athlete at the athletics department academic banquet last spring.
"I've always taken pride in my academics and I've worked real hard in the classroom to do well and I think it's paid off so far," Culp said. "It's been impressed upon me ever since I've been young that it's important and I've focused on it and done pretty well."
On the field, Culp hopes to finish his career on a strong note. BG is 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference East with four regular season games remaining.
"This is the last time around, you definitely want to make it count," Culp said. "We are in first place and we control our own destiny.
"We have to turn it around right away and I think that's something we're capable of doing."
