Shelton shows versatility on O-line

When Charles Herbert Flowers High School needed a new center, junior Isaiah Shelton stepped in. When Flowers needed a left tackle after their starter got hurt, Shelton gladly moved over. When Flowers needed a pulling guard who could move quickly out in space, Flowers filled the void.

"Wherever they need me, I'll play," Shelton said. "Center guard, tackle, D-line. I'm there."

Shelton, at 6-feet-1 and 265 pounds, isn't the tallest offensive lineman around, but he compensates with athleticism and quickness. Flowers runs a lot of stretch plays, which means linemen have to able to get out in space and block. Shelton, who runs a sub-4.8 40-yard dash, is the quickest lineman on the squad. On top of that, he moves his feet well, which is why he can adjust to playing guard and tackle.

"He does have very good feet," said Flowers coach Mike Mayo. "And in our [Wing-T] offense our guards and tackles run a lot."

Shelton's versatility gives him another advantage – opponents don't know how to gameplan for him. Flowers' running backs often follow Shelton into the line, and when the defense fails to locate the lineman it can cost them precious yards. But when defenses do identify Shelton, they tend to over-compensate. Sometimes they slide another man over on Shelton, expecting a run. That's when Flowers makes them pay. They call an audible and run through the vacated hole in the defense.

"He's the glue that holds the line together," Mayo said. "Without him in there, our line becomes one-dimensional."

While he excels at guard and tackle, center may be his best position, according to Mayo. Not only do centers have the power and agility to battle nose tackles in the trenches, but they must have a keen mind. Shelton is regarded as the most cerebral player on Flowers' line. He identifies blitzes, calls out coverages and changes plays. Off the field, he speaks up in offensive line meetings and offers insight into the weekly gameplan.

"He's smart," Mayo said. "He knows all the assignments and signals for all the line positions, not just his own."

A center can have MIT-caliber intelligence, but if he doesn't have raw power he'll be demolished. Shelton may be small, but that doesn't mean he can't move a 300-pound tackle out of the way when he needs to. Thanks to his wrestling skills, Shelton knows how to get under a tackle's pads.

"Wrestling helps me with endurance, it helps me to stay low and it helps my field awareness," Shelton said. "When someone is trying to attack you in wrestling, it's the same as facing a lineman in football. So when a D-lineman rushes me and the linebacker comes up on a blitz, I can maneuver away from the lineman and pick up the linebacker."

In the state semifinal game against Suitland last year, Shelton repeatedly stood his man up, allowing Flowers to control the ground game. The old cliché says that "games are won and lost in the trenches," and on this day Flowers dominated. They had 236 yards rushing compared to 39 for Suitland. Needless to say, Flowers won the game handily, 29-6, thanks in no small part to Shelton and the line.

"He just controlled the inside in that game," Mayo said.

But controlling a game at the high school level is not the same as handling Division-I college players. When every defensive tackle is over 300 pounds, there's only so much an undersized lineman can do, regardless of intelligence or agility.

"I don't think he can be Division I because he's not as tall as what they're looking for these days," Mayo said. "But he can play Division II or I-AA definitely."

Shelton has been e-mailing Columbia, and he recently visited Lafayette and talked to the defensive coordinator. He was invited back for a Junior Day workout this weekend. But besides those two schools, he's received little interest so far. He will have one more year to entice those recruiters.

Next season, he'll be one of Flowers' leaders, which means he'll counted on to anchor the offensive line once again. He's known for openly offering advice and demonstrating proper technique to younger teammates. And he's already pushing them hard in the weight room. After dropping weight for wrestling season, Shelton is back in full force, building up his upper boy for football.

"He's a very hard worker," Mayo said. "He's dedicated and he's enthusiastic. You can always count on him being there."

That's already pretty clear. After all, Shelton is the glue of the offensive line.