Jensen, O-Line Lead Bobcats
8/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Peder Jensen looks the part of an offensive lineman. As a 19-game starter entering his junior season at Montana State, Jensen certainly plays the part of a successful offensive tackle.
So when Jensen began mapping out plans for the summer, one would think it might revolve heavily around the sport at which he excels. But one would be wrong. Jensen spent a week-and-a-half this summer in Europe, attending World Cup soccer matches.
"I love that sport," he says with his trademark enthusiasm. "I played it when I was growing up, but I don't have the body for it." At 6-6, 270, Jensen is undoubtedly right, but he channels his appreciation for soccer into being a fan, cheering for Manchester United and Real Madrid. "If you get into, you fall in love with it."
If Bobcat fans hadn't fallen in love with Jensen after rallying from a broken foot during his redshirt season to post a super sophomore campaign, they probably did late last November. MSU coach Mike Kramer did. "We had three individual performances against Montana last year that really paved the way for a great team victory, and one of them was the job Peder Jensen did holding an all-conference player to one tackle. A performance like that elevates a player to a pretty pristine level." Jensen and his linemates didn't allow a sack against the Grizzlies, and helped MSU pile up 199 rushing yards.
Kramer also likes the effort his squad has given in the early days of MSU's fall football camp. "They're playing OK," Kramer said. "We have pretty high standards in the offensive line here at Montana State, given the number of all-conference players we've had in the last couple of years. So with that heritage, OK is pretty good."
That heritage includes All-America Jeff Bolton, currently a rookie in the Seattle Seahawks' training camp. Jensen said replacing a player of Bolton's stature is significant. "We lost a captain and the leader of our O-line, but it really helps out that we have Brant (Birkeland) and Joe (Hirst) back, and they're both great leaders for us. On the O-line there's a left side and a right side, and each side has a captain, Brant at left guard and Joe at right tackle. I think it will really help Jim and Lou out, being first-time starters."
Jensen likes the way MSU's offensive line is gelling. "We're really coming together right now," he said, "and that's what the five of us have to do in camp, come together. Everybody trusts everybody right now."
With players returning that have started at least one game at each O-line position, Jensen said the line is off to a fast start this fall. "It seems like we're hitting the ground running. We had a great spring, I missed spring but we had a great spring as a unit. Right now the pups are a little behind, but the twos are right there with the ones. They're pushing. That's a lot different from years past. There's twos that could be starting and we'd be rolling just fine."
For the second time in 18 months, Jensen suffered a broken leg in January, and missed spring drills. "It was tough," he said. "It was the second broken leg of my career, but I tried to make the best of it. I feel 100% right now."
Kramer looks forward to watching his 2006 line progress during the season. "This should be an offensive line that fits right into our tradition."
So when Jensen began mapping out plans for the summer, one would think it might revolve heavily around the sport at which he excels. But one would be wrong. Jensen spent a week-and-a-half this summer in Europe, attending World Cup soccer matches.
"I love that sport," he says with his trademark enthusiasm. "I played it when I was growing up, but I don't have the body for it." At 6-6, 270, Jensen is undoubtedly right, but he channels his appreciation for soccer into being a fan, cheering for Manchester United and Real Madrid. "If you get into, you fall in love with it."
If Bobcat fans hadn't fallen in love with Jensen after rallying from a broken foot during his redshirt season to post a super sophomore campaign, they probably did late last November. MSU coach Mike Kramer did. "We had three individual performances against Montana last year that really paved the way for a great team victory, and one of them was the job Peder Jensen did holding an all-conference player to one tackle. A performance like that elevates a player to a pretty pristine level." Jensen and his linemates didn't allow a sack against the Grizzlies, and helped MSU pile up 199 rushing yards.
Kramer also likes the effort his squad has given in the early days of MSU's fall football camp. "They're playing OK," Kramer said. "We have pretty high standards in the offensive line here at Montana State, given the number of all-conference players we've had in the last couple of years. So with that heritage, OK is pretty good."
That heritage includes All-America Jeff Bolton, currently a rookie in the Seattle Seahawks' training camp. Jensen said replacing a player of Bolton's stature is significant. "We lost a captain and the leader of our O-line, but it really helps out that we have Brant (Birkeland) and Joe (Hirst) back, and they're both great leaders for us. On the O-line there's a left side and a right side, and each side has a captain, Brant at left guard and Joe at right tackle. I think it will really help Jim and Lou out, being first-time starters."
Jensen likes the way MSU's offensive line is gelling. "We're really coming together right now," he said, "and that's what the five of us have to do in camp, come together. Everybody trusts everybody right now."
With players returning that have started at least one game at each O-line position, Jensen said the line is off to a fast start this fall. "It seems like we're hitting the ground running. We had a great spring, I missed spring but we had a great spring as a unit. Right now the pups are a little behind, but the twos are right there with the ones. They're pushing. That's a lot different from years past. There's twos that could be starting and we'd be rolling just fine."
For the second time in 18 months, Jensen suffered a broken leg in January, and missed spring drills. "It was tough," he said. "It was the second broken leg of my career, but I tried to make the best of it. I feel 100% right now."
Kramer looks forward to watching his 2006 line progress during the season. "This should be an offensive line that fits right into our tradition."
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