Athleticism, versatility allow Hempfield grad Sean Knight to excel at different positions along Cal (Pa.) offensive line

Every offensive lineman has the same dream: to score a touchdown. And who can blame them? The guys who do all the grunt work wouldn’t mind a little glory.

Cal (Pa.) right tackle Sean Knight has come close. He has lined up at tight end for the Vulcans. He even had a play put in for him and has run a couple of routes.

But the ball went elsewhere on those plays, so Knight, a Hempfield grad, is still waiting for his “SportsCenter” moment.

No matter. Knight is plenty good at his regular job and has helped Cal into the upper echelon of the PSAC standings.

Heading into this past Saturday’s game against sixth-ranked Slippery Rock, the Vulcans were 3-0 in the PSAC West and 5-1 overall. They have done it largely on the strength of their offense, which ranks among the conference’s best in every significant category.

Through their first five games, the Vulcans ranked:

• second in the 15-team PSAC in points per game (32.0)

• first in total offense (418.0)

• eighth in rushing offense (144.2)

• second in passing offense (270.7)

• third in time of possession (33:03)

And, as every coach avows, it all starts with the guys up front.

“I’m really pleased with our offensive line,” ninth-year coach Gary Dunn said. “They’re a physical group. We want to establish the run, and they’re just doing a good job of leading our offense. We’ve got an upperclassman-oriented group with three seniors up there.”

Senior Jaheim Bassham anchors the line at center. To his right are senior guard Nashawn Jackson and senior tackle Knight. On the left side are redshirt freshman guard Gary Rounds and sophomore tackle Jacob King (Charleroi).

King was Knight’s backup at left tackle last season. But with a vacancy at right tackle following the graduation of Matthew Tobias, Knight was moved to right tackle.

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal at the end of the day,” Knight said. “(King) is playing left tackle this year because he was just more comfortable on the left side. I played right in high school, so I was, honestly, more comfortable on the right side.”

The move also was of little consequence to Knight because it wasn’t the first time he was asked to play a different position for the Vulcans.

Recruited to play tackle or center, the (then) 6-foot-3, 270-pound Knight ended up playing tight end as a freshman. With Cal’s backup tight end suffering a concussion, Dunn’s team was thin at the position, so Knight was pulled aside during camp and asked if he had ever played tight end before.

He told them no, but they offered him a shot anyway.

“I said, ‘Of course,’ ” Knight said. “What offensive lineman doesn’t want to play tight end?”

Dunn noted Knight’s athleticism made him a candidate to fill the role.

“Every time we had an injury at tight end, we’d change him from a 70 jersey to an 80 jersey,” Dunn said. “And I think it got him kind of a role in our offense as a young guy. He got to play on some goal-line packages and play some tight end for us. I think that helped his development.”

Where Knight needed the most development was as a pass blocker. Always strong in the run game, Knight needed to complement his run-blocking skills with more efficient pass blocking.

His biggest issue, he said, was getting out of his stance properly to set up to pass block. Before Knight’s sophomore season, offensive line coach Bob McClain returned to the Vulcans after serving a stint on Illinois’ staff, and that, Knight said, made a huge difference for him.

McClain worked with Knight on his first “kick,” the leg motion used to get out of his stance. That, coupled with Knight’s athleticism, has allowed him to become effective in the passing game.

“Sean has worked himself into a really good player,” Dunn said. “For his size (now 6-4, 295) and how athletic he is, it’s surprising to people. He has developed as a pass blocker and is a well-rounded guy.”

But Knight knows he might not be playing college football at all if it were not for the help of late Hempfield coach Rich Bowen, who died Oct. 8 at age 60 as the result of cancer.

“Coach Bowen, he was a great guy,” Knight said. “Great coach, even better guy. He was always there for you if you needed it. He would always put a smile on your face. He’d work you hard and coach you on what you needed coached, but, at the end of the day, he was just a great guy and a great leader.

“He helped me talk to college coaches. He’d reach out to coaches. He knew everybody.”

Knight is hoping to honor Bowen’s memory by finishing his collegiate career strong. After Slippery Rock, the Vulcans still have a tough game remaining with IUP in the 15th Coal Bowl before finishing their PSAC West schedule with a home game against Edinboro and closing out the regular season with a cross-over game at home against Shippensburg.

Maybe Knight will get to catch a touchdown pass in one of those games. Occasionally during games, he will line up in an eligible position and will make a point of reminding the coaching staff when he does so.

“I just want to get into the end zone,” Knight said. “I saw this thing where (a team) ran a hook-and-lateral with a tight end. That would be pretty cool.”

Short of that, Knight has one other personal goal for his senior season, one that involves his brother, Brennan, a freshman tight end for the Vulcans.

“I think just being able to get on the field at the same time as him would be cool,” Knight said.