If there is one thing that is unchanging on the offensive line at Virginia, it would have to be fifth-year senior Evan Routzahn. The 2000 and 2001 honorable mention all-ACC guard from Middletown, Md., has started on the Cavaliers' offensive line since 1998, becoming a staple member of a line that blocked for Thomas Jones, Virginia's all-time leading running back, in 1998 and 1999.
Routzahn has been one of the most reliable players to grace David A. Harrison field since he got his first opportunity three years ago. When all-ACC guard Noel LaMontagne went down with an injury midway through the 1998 season, Routzahn stepped in and never gave up his spot on the offensive line again.
The 1998 season was Routzahn's first year of availability as he red-shirted during his true freshman year. He stayed on top in 1999, starting in every game. Routzahn has played in an estimated 98 percent of the snaps during the 2000 season.
"It has been a lot of work through the years," Routzahn said. "I have been playing for a long time, but I still need to improve in some of the things I do. It has been great, but there are a lot of games I wish I had back."
After playing through the 1998 season, he soon was joined by Jared Woodson, Josh Lawson and Jermese Jones, who provided the Cavaliers with stellar line play for two years. After struggling through most of the 2001 season, however, first-year coach Al Groh put an end to the group of four linemen, who now are all seniors.
Against Wake Forest on Nov. 3, Groh decided it was time to make some changes. Unfortunately for two of the four seniors starting on the offensive line, the changes affected them. For the first time in over two years, only Routzahn and Jones remained starters.
"It was tough to deal with at first," Routzahn said. "Especially with Josh being my roommate. I had to keep reminding them that the coaches knew what they were doing when they made the changes."
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With the changes, Routzahn had to be not only a productive offensive lineman himself, but also a teacher for the new players. Filling the vacated starting spots were true freshman Elton Brown and junior Mike Mullins, who were both inexperienced at the lineman position.
"It's hard to start on the offensive line when you are young," Routzahn said. "I have taken some time to help tutor a few of the young guys. I help out the redshirts too."
All the linemen "have done a really good job," Groh said. "It was just time for some changes. Everyone has adapted well to the situations."
In a year when the offensive line often has struggled, Routzahn has stayed strong, but he admits that he, too, didn't play as well early in the season. He said he knows that Groh made the changes for the good of the team, but it was often difficult helping his teammates understand that.
"Our blocking hasn't been good at times this season," Routzahn said. "I don't know what the problem was. We helped block for Virginia's all-time running back."
With only one game remaining in his Virginia career, Routzahn is looking to go out on a high note after a relatively difficult senior season.
"We are going to dig down deep," he said. "We have had three or four full-pad practices this week and we want to go out on a high note. We were all frustrated after the Virginia Tech game."
After the Penn State game is over, Routzahn will have only one more college game to play as a collegiate, as he will represent the Cavaliers in the Blue-Gray All Star Football Classic on Christmas Day.
"I have had a great career at Virginia," he said. "I was here for five years and I loved it here. I look forward to what lies beyond"
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