Prescott Line- Opportunities Are Created Not Provided (The Next Level)

It’s something about a small town that has always been intriguing. It may only consist of a few restaurants, shops and local bars but the people in small towns are typically very proud of their community. Many times, these towns are home to some of the best kept secrets such as historical bridges, ice cream shops and acts of heroism. In the small town of Oxford, Michigan, one of its best kept secrets may by Prescott Line.

An Oxford native, Line has two sisters and two brothers. All of the boys play football and they all play fullback. The Line family wasn’t exactly unknown at the time. The town had already witnessed Line’s older brother Zach Line who excelled in football and is currently playing in the National Football League as a fullback for the Minnesota Vikings. “It was always a dream of ours and he’s made it possible, so now it’s believable if you work hard.” Early in Line’s life, hockey was his sport but when he began playing football, he immediately fell in love with it. Line was named 2011 Mr. Football in Michigan. That year as a junior, he set a school and league record as a running back tallying 2,454 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.

“It was always a dream of ours and he’s made it possible, so now it’s believable if you work hard.”

The 6’0″ 260 pound fullback is more of a traditional fullback but still can adjust to today’s style of football. He’s a bruising blocker who craves contact on the field. His vision, which allows him to seek the appropriate player to block, gets overlooked. Although the fullback position has been undervalued lately, he still takes his role seriously. “I study film to where I’m on the field, I know who exactly I have,” says Line. He loves hitting but he also takes pride in his pass catching ability. “When the defense has a certain play covered or figured out, I think I do a great job transitioning to make the play work.”

Line attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) out of high school. In 2013, Line led the SMU Mustangs in rushing as a red-shirt freshman. He would continue to play running back for the Mustangs for the next three years. Although he enjoyed his time at SMU, Texas was far from home and Line still longed to play in front of people in his tight knit hometown of Oxford, Michigan. Line graduated from SMU and transferred to Michigan State to play fullback for the Spartans in 2016. Weighing closer to 260 pounds at the time as compared to his running back years of 220, Line looked forward to the physicality of blocking for his running back and teammates. “I love blocking people and helping out my team in any way I can.”

Although the fullback position doesn’t get many highlights on television, Line knows first-hand from his big brother Zach how vital the position can be. Zach has blocked for future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. He’s also quick to provide his younger brother with the wisdom he has obtained at the highest level.

“I love blocking people and helping out my team in any way I can.”

It didn’t take long for Line to realize he had made it to the big stage of collegiate sports. “At SMU, we may have had a crowd of 20,000 people,” according to Line, “but seeing all of those people when I ran out of the tunnel of my first game at Michigan State made me say wow, this is the Big Ten!” His amazement would immediately wear off however, as he focused on the task at hand, smash mouth football.

“My first play at Michigan State was power to the right, says Line. “After making contact and blocking during that game, I realized I can do this. This is my style right here.” He would go on to have a successful season playing fullback at Michigan State and knocking down what would be tacklers. Now, he knows the task gets even bigger as he tries to knock out any obstacles that may obstruct his path to the NFL.

He is constantly inspired by his dad who he talks to frequently and who provides him with inspirational quotes. “My dad has always been a great role model in life. He came from a hard time but dude always has a smile on his face.” With the help of his upbringing, Line feels he could help any NFL team. “I’m disciplined, hard-working, respectful, loyal and lead by example.” Line has mastered watching film and feels he can utilize his intelligence to create opportunities for his offensive teammates.

“My first play at Michigan State was power to the right, according to Line, “after making contact I realized I can do this.”

Since the conclusion of his final college football game, good things have already begun to happen for Line. While relaxing with his family, he got a surprise call from his agent. After a brief conversation, Line learned that he was invited to the Tropical Bowl in Daytona, Florida. This was an opportunity for players to showcase their talents to NFL and Canadian Football League scouts. “For me, it was another opportunity to play another football game,” states Line.

The college graduate has always admired how Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis was able to use his weight to his advantage. Yet, he doesn’t compare himself to anyone. He prefers to keep working hard and make his own lane in the sport of football. He doesn’t know what the future holds but he is working hard on his weaknesses to prepare for the NFL pro day. Although it may be an uphill climb, he’s already made a career creating paths when it appeared there weren’t any.