Mateas in middle of O-line’s renaissance
With an injury to centre Jon Gott a month ago, Alex Mateas moved one spot to his right on the offensive line, switching to centre for the Ottawa Redblacks.
Gott is back in the lineup now, but he’s playing right guard.
The 26-year-old Mateas has played so well that the team has left him at centre. It’s not like he’s a stranger to the position, having played there for the University of Connecticut.
“Wherever the team needs you to play, you have to step in and produce,” Mateas said before Friday’s Canadian Football League home game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“I do have a bit of history at centre. The whole process of playing centre — preparing for the game, being 100 per cent confident in the calls that you’re going to relay to the rest of the offensive line — it takes a different preparation. I absolutely love it. This is the most fun I’ve had playing sports ... ever.”
Mateas has also been able to lean on Gott for advice.
“Jon has been tons of help,” he said. “He’s teaching me little tricks to figure out problems on certain plays. He’s got tons of knowledge and I’m trying to soak it all in.”
In recent weeks, the offensive line, at times missing three of its starters in Gott, Sir-Vincent Rogers and Nolan MacMillan, has picked it up.
They have cut the number of quarterback sacks significantly and have created ample room for running back William Powell to do his thing.
“There’s nothing more demoralizing for a defence when you can run,” Mateas said.
“It’s especially demoralizing if they know the run is coming, if they know you’re coming full steam and you can keep on pounding it. If you watch film, the receivers are getting their hands on the DBs and mauling them, the quarterbacks are rolling out and pulling the defensive end. We’re coming together as a team.”