For all the work they do in the trenches, offensive linemen don’t often get the credit they deserve.
Not so with Allan Hancock College sophomore Jose Lopez, who ended the season with a rare unanimous All-Conference selection by conference coaches.
“I’m grateful. I’m happy they chose me,” Lopez said. “It just shows that my hard work paid off. I work hard in the weight room, in the classroom, on the field. I try to be the best football player I can, and I hope that’s what they saw. I play every play the best I can, and just try to be the best player I can and just be a leader out there.”
A returning starter, Lopez anchored a Bulldog line that once again opened up holes for its vaunted running game.
Additionally Lopez’s high GPA bodes well for a future at the next level. Coach Chris Dutra has been talking to schools.
“It’s a neat thing,” Lopez said. “It should help me out with recruiting and can help me reach a good school to play for next year.
“I’m just being patient right now, and the opportunity is going to come,” he said.
Unfortunately, a foot injury in the Bulldogs’ final regular season game meant Lopez would have to watch from the sidelines and would take about three months to recover.
“I wish I could play this last game and go out with a bang,” he said. “I hope I didn’t let my teammates down, but I know they’re going to go out there and play their hearts out for me. They told me that, so that kind of helps out, knowing they’re going out and doing it for me. It makes me feel good inside.”
Lopez expressed gratitude to his coaches.
“If you ask them, when I came here two years ago, I wasn’t the football player I am today,” he said. “They don’t treat us as football players, they treat us as people. They understand we have emotions, and they’re very patient with us. I’m just glad I was a part of this program.”
This article appears in Nov 23-30, 2011.