What makes a great lineman? Is it size, strength, and speed? Or is it more about technique and intellect?
In my opinion it is a mixture of all of the above. At the professional level every lineman has to possess multiple tools in order to be successful or to be considered as a great lineman.
Let us start with the basics, size. “You cannot teach size,” as one of my old coaches used to say. You either have it or you do not. Strength, you can always train to be stronger, but you can only go so far. Speed, at lower levels of football is not so important; but as a professional, foot speed is crucial. Being an all around athlete at the professional level is important. Now with all these physical aspects taken into account, they are not the only skills that a lineman needs to be successful. At the professional level all lineman are athletic to a certain extent.
