Conrad Burbank has found a home at left tackle
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
CATS IN CAMP: Day Six
8/10/2011 3:53:00 PM | Football
Burbank Settles in at Left Tackle
At 6-4 and 297 lbs, most people don't see Conrad Burbank as a finesse player. But Montana State's Conrad Burbank has never been most people.
“I like it way better,” said the senior from Reno who has been an anchor of the Bobcat offensive line as both a guard and tackle for the past three seasons, stretching out the word 'way'. “I'm more comfortable at tackle.”
And then Burbank delivers the zinger: “It's really more of a finesse position.”
Burbank started at guard, which MSU offensive line coach Jason McEndoo likens to “playing in a phone booth,” the first game his redshirt freshman year. He started the first 19 games of his career at guard, transitioning to tackle midway through his sophomore season due to an injury to starting tackle Leo Davis. Although he played tackle occasionally throughout his career, he remained primarily a guard until suffering an injury during the 2010 season opener, and he returned to guard for the Idaho State game.
But Burbank's move to his favored spot at tackle in the spring has stabilized MSU's offensive line after losing All-America left tackle Mike Person. MSU coach Rob Ash characterizes that position as crucial for its role in pass protection.
“That's a huge job for us,” Ash said, “protecting DeNarius' back side. I really like what I see from Conrad (at left tackle).”
McEndoo, who has spent his eight years at MSU constructing tremendous offensive lines, said Burbank's skills fit his new position. “He's got good feet and he's good in space,” McEndoo said. “Playing tackle's a bit more spatial than playing guard. Tackle is playing out in space, being able to move. Conrad moves fluid, he's got good feet. He's 300 lbs, but he moves well.”
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After Thursday morning's practice, Montana State hits the big stage of Bobcat Stadium for an afternoon scrimmage.
For Ash, the game's most fundamental skill will be the main evaluation point. “We want to see if we can tackle,” Ash said. “We want running backs and wide receivers both to see if they can break tackles, and we want to evaluate our linebackers and defensive backs to see if they can tackle, see if they can make plays in the open field.”
While tackling remains the foundation of the game, Ash said the opportunity to practice that skill doesn't present itself as often as coaches would like. “We don't do it very often,” he said, “we don't tackle to the ground very often. We don't want to get guys hurt. So this is a critical time to evaluate the art of tackling and breaking tackles.”
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