Cope at center of offense, not center of attention

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Cope at center of offense, not center of attention

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

CHARLES GOLDBERG

News staff writer

AUBURN - He's gone from walk-on to one of the brains of the offense, but Joe Cope still lives in the relative obscurity that dogs the position he plays.

Isn't it time to appreciate the center?

Auburn coaches certainly do, especially after watching a particularly brutal practice that Cope missed when he was injured earlier this fall, and after leaving it up to him to make the final call on each offensive play.

After offensive coordinator Al Borges sends in the play, and after quarterback Brandon Cox sets the wheels in motion, it is Cope that has the final say. He sets the blocking schemes after he reaches the line of scrimmage, and, if something is amiss, it is he who tells Cox that more changes are necessary.

Cope's actions aren't unique for a center. But they are critical to the Tigers' cause, and particularly satisfying for a guy who wasn't offered a scholarship by Auburn, but came on campus and earned a scholarship by proving everybody wrong.

"I can remember Joe Cope was our designated snapper for a couple years: Just walked around with the quarterbacks and snapped," said coach Tommy Tuberville. "But he kept working, lifting, learning. It takes a special person to do that, to go out there and know there's a very slim chance of them ever getting out there on the field or getting a scholarship.

"But if you make it, if you hang in there, it's important to them."

Conversely, it's important to Auburn, which usually tries to make tackle Jonathan Palmer an emergency center or moves walk-on Jason Bosley up the depth chart when Cope can't go.

Auburn historians know the importance of keeping a starting center healthy. The Tigers were down to their sixth center in 1998 when they rolled into Florida and, not surprisingly, were wiped off the field.

Cope has the savvy of a senior, but is hardly a grizzled veteran. He started 10 games last season, but played in only three games the season before that. And that is the extent of Cope's college career.

But the guy who walked around with the quarterbacks has learned a lot in a short time.

"There is a lot of pressure making the calls, and having the confidence to do it comes with experience, and having that confidence allows you to make the calls and feel good about it," Cope said.

"Being out there and having experience instills confidence in the players around you to believe in what you're saying. You can go up there and make the call and nobody is questioning it because you have the experience. They know you've been there before."

Cox receives the praise when a pass is completed. Cope's blocking calls are hardly noticed. But Cox and Cope have to work in harmony.

"We put a lot of emphasis on identifying the defense, so that's the first thing you want to do when you get to the line of scrimmage," Cope said. "The next thing you want to do is get to the point where our blocking scheme starts."

And then you have to yell. Loud. Everybody from the guards and tackles to the tight end and running backs have to hear Cope's call. And if Cox changes the play, Cope starts over again.

"On a pass play, for example, if he sees a blitz coming, I'll change my blocking scheme," Cope said. And if Cox misses it, Cope is there, albeit upside down, to warn him of impending doom.

"There are times when you can look at some of the d-linemen and see something," Cope said. "We'll try to tell Brandon `This is about to happen.' He and I are both looking when we get to the line of scrimmage, wondering: `Is the safety moving around?' That's a pretty big deal. Most of the time Brandon is going to see it, but if he misses it, it's my job to turn around and tell him. Other times, it's his job to let me know."

And then, with the freedom provided by offensive line coach Hugh Nall, Cope makes his call.

"Like Coach Nall says, even if you make the wrong call for that blocking scheme, if everybody is doing what they're told to do, it still might work. There might be a guy who comes free on defense, but if everybody is blocking somebody, our great running backs can make a cut and we're out the door."