Cody Vokes is pretty straightforward when asked what he loves about football.

The team aspect. Getting to meet great people. Being on the field with “his guys.”

Oh, and there’s this:

“This is going to sound a little crazy: You can physically assault someone and not go to jail,” he said.

Above all else, the Mt. Pleasant graduate and senior at West Liberty loves the physical nature of the game. That has been his calling card throughout his many years in the sport.

But for a long time during his tenure at the West Virginia school, Vokes wasn’t hitting anybody outside of practice. His first three seasons (2018-20) included a redshirt year and a season lost to the covid-19 pandemic. In between, he simply did not appear in any games.

He played in two games in 2021 then got more consistent playing time last season, appearing in seven games.

Finally, this season, Vokes, a 6-foot-4, 290-pound left guard, has started every game for the Hilltoppers, who, after a slow start, won three in a row through Oct. 14.

“I really wasn’t ‘waiting my turn.’ I was always getting reps,” Vokes said. “I was always basically the next guy up. I worked in my time on and off the field, improving my technique, getting stronger, doing what I (could) to help support the team.

“But it’s definitely been worth it. I haven’t given up, so that’s what brought me to where I am today.”

Part of his slow journey to becoming a college starter goes back to his obsession with the physical side of football. While playing along the offensive line at Mt. Pleasant, he said, that was all he relied on: hit somebody as quickly and as hard as possible.

In college, however, being big and strong simply weren’t enough. He had to learn proper techniques, particularly when it came to pass blocking. His pass blocking skills, he said, essentially were just a carbon copy of what he would do as a run blocker.

“In high school, I was never taught how to ‘kick step,’ ” Vokes said about a key pass-blocking maneuver. “Going backward as an offensive lineman was never really part of my game. Learning how to do that, I had to revamp how I played.

“I had to be less physical, which was something I wasn’t used to. I learned how to combine that physicality with that technique.”

Coach Roger Waialae, in his 19th season at West Liberty, said Vokes’ ability to pass block — or lack thereof — was the primary stumbling block to him becoming an everyday college offensive lineman.

“He made a big jump last year, and he’s made another big jump this year,” Waialae said. “Every kid, the light comes on at a different time. He’s always showed flashes, but the consistency level has really picked up in his play.

“Anything one-on-one, he was fine. But on this level, people are constantly moving their fronts, and he was really somewhat impatient because he’s such a physical player. He wasn’t being patient with the ‘twist’ and the stunts and all of the things (defenses) were doing. Things finally slowed down for him.”

For the Hilltoppers, that couldn’t have come at a better time. Usually known for their strong rushing attack, the Toppers have been forced to go to the air more this season because of injuries at the running back position.

Through seven games, West Liberty led the Mountain East Conference in pass attempts with 323, 25 more than No. 2 Concord and only 59 fewer than it attempted in 11 games last season. More importantly, Hilltoppers quarterbacks have been sacked only 15 times.

Vokes said he has been pleased with how he and the rest of the line have answered the bell in the passing game, but he also said the running game is starting to find traction.

“We’ve been throwing the ball a lot,” he said. “We’ve improved our running game compared to Game 1 for sure. But, yeah, we’ve been throwing it a lot more. But we’re starting to turn this around. We didn’t have a great start coming into the season, but right now, we’re starting to turn it around.”

The slow start — the Toppers lost their first four games — could be attributed, at least in part, to some youth along the offensive line. West Liberty starts a freshman, Mason Fraley, at center and a sophomore, Luis Martinez, at tackle. Getting the two of them to jell with the other linemen was part of Vokes’ duty as the eldest statesmen among the position group.

Playing next to Fraley, son of former Robert Morris standout and current Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley, Vokes has been able to mentor the youngster.

“He’s one of the leaders up front on the offensive line,” Waialae said. “I think Cody has helped (Fraley) immensely because they’re together, and they’re constantly talking and getting to the right places. You have to work together up front to get there.”

Added Vokes: “I’ve never really had to communicate. All the previous guys I have played with up here, they were just that talented. They just knew what to do no matter what. But with these younger guys, sometimes you have to speak up.

“When we’re on the same page, we can do our job effectively.”

Vokes has at least a few more games to “do his job.” While he would love to continue playing football after West Liberty — he is in his final year of eligibility — he knows there are no guarantees.

If this turns out to be his final act as a football player, Vokes can walk away knowing he turned himself from someone who never saw game action into an everyday starter.

“The amount of time and dedication I have put into this sport, it’s one of the only things I truly love and have a passion for. It’s what I do,” he said. “I just kept believing in myself. My family, my friends, they all believed in me that I could do it. I just kept working as hard as I can and saw how good I could become.”

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