Kurtenbach: World Series, anyone?
Serra’s towering tackles Azzopardi, Elu among Bay Area’s best O-linemen
SAN MATEO » When David Bakhtiari, the Green Bay Packers’ All-Pro offensive tackle, visits his favorite hometown breakfast spot, he’s usually the biggest guy in the joint.
That is, with the exception of nearby Serra High School’s current crop of offensive linemen, including their two towering tackles, 6-foot-6 Drew Azzopardi and 6-5 Nathan Elu, on a particular day this past June. The greasy spoon: Christie’s in Burlingame.
The Padres linemen spotted Bakhtiari through the window and asked for a photo. And it was Azzopardi and Elu who put their arms over the shoulders of the 6-4, two-time first-team All-Pro, a 2009 Serra graduate himself.
“We saw a dude in a green shirt and a pony-tail, so we knew right away it was him,” Azzopardi said. “We took a picture with him because, like, as O-linemen, he’s the best left tackle in the league.”
“I felt like it was kind of an alpha move, when we took the photo, they put their arms over my shoulder,” Bakhtiari recalled in a radio appearance later that week.
The next day, Serra coach Patrick Walsh arranged for Bakhtiari to visit his alma mater and work out with a group of current O-linemen on campus. For Azzopardi, Elu, junior guard Ryan Silver and Azzopardi’s
brother, Nate — another former Serra lineman, now at the University of Idaho — Bakhtiari watched film and gave tips on footwork, technique, even new stretches.
“It wasn’t only blocking maneuvers,” Elu said. “It was stretching, mobility. It was everything.”
“I adjusted my stance a lot,” Azzopardi said. “He told us a lot of inside tips, like how to get off the ball quicker and how to get more depth in our pass set.”
“It was really dope,” Elu continued. “He taught us a lot of stuff we didn’t know. Drew and I have kept a lot of things he said in our minds.”
With the size of Serra’s offensive line
comes expectations of equal proportion.
On each flank, there’s Azzopardi and Elu — 600 pounds and 10 Division I scholarship offers between them. Inside, there’s also Silver, standing 6-3 and receiving college interest. Nico Saenz and Ricky Auimatagi will be asked to step in for departing seniors.
They’ll play a pivotal role opening lanes for dual-threat quarterback Dominique Lampkin and all-threat-everywhere Hassan Mahasin, the Bay Area News Group spring player of the year.
The Padres finished the spring season undefeated, on top of the WCAL and ranked No. 3 in the Bay Area News Group Top 25. But, Elu said, “truly, everybody here knows that during those five games we screwed up a lot.”
“They’re really talented guys ... but they really haven’t done anything yet,” Walsh said. “It’s funny, these guys that grow so fast, so young, sometimes they develop late. … Their athleticism has improved so much . ... I’m excited to see their improvement from Game 1 to Game 10.”
Walsh, a former running back, is taking a hands-on role in the trenches this year. Brian Wilbur, the offensive line coach the past
three seasons, stepped down, so Walsh took on the job himself.
Here’s the real question: Walsh or Bakhtiari — who’s the better offensive line coach?
“Oh, I’d definitely take Patrick,” Elu said. “David Bakhtiari, he’s a great player. But I’d definitely take Patrick Walsh. He’s lived down the street from me my entire life. I wouldn’t want anybody but him.”