“I think of offensive lineman as a blue collar job,” said Joe Pearson, senior offensive lineman. “You don’t get much credit, but you still work your tail off everyday.”
After two seasons at Guilford College, Pearson, 6-foot-2 inches tall and over 300 pounds, is primed to perform at the professional level.
His distinguished career at Guilford featured a 2013 Dream Bowl All-Star Game appearance and performances at multiple NFL and CFL combines.
Raw beginnings
“If you look at the beginning of Joe’s career, there were a lot of red flags,” said head football coach Chris Rusiewicz.
After transferring from the University of Southern Mississippi to Appalachian State University, and finally, to Guilford his junior year, Pearson recalls that a “pretty bad attitude” was one of his red flags.
“I felt like I was better than everyone else,” said Pearson. “Coaches appreciated my talent but not my attitude.”
“You knew he was going to be a hit or miss,” said Brad Davis, assistant football coach and offensive line coordinator.
“He was that guy who could go out on the field and get three 15-yard penalties.”
The evolution: raw to real
“Seeing him grow to where he is today, it’s 180 degrees from when he arrived,” Rusiewicz said. “He went from a player no one knew to the number 57 center in college football today.”
What led to the change?
“It took a conversation with some coaches,” Rusiewicz said. “Finally, he realized that he needed to step up and dominate. And he did.”
“What my coaches told me was a light switch for me,” Pearson said. “I took their advice with me the whole season, and I dominated the opposition like no one else on our team did.”
Pearson finished the season with Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors and captained the Dream Bowl All-Star Game, where he led his team to a 37–0 rout.
“All season, he was such a dominant force that it was fun playing next to him,” said sophomore offensive lineman Faris El-Ali.
According to senior defensive lineman and team captain Daniel Biggerstaff, Pearson’s competitive spirit has helped him rise to the occasion.
“The guy doesn’t even believe that he can get beat,” Biggerstaff said. “You put anybody in front of him, he will take them down.”
“I’ve been one-on-one with NFL guys, and I’ve been winning every battle,” said Pearson. “I’ve trained with linebackers like Danelle Ellerbe, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.
“Having guys like him push me has been rewarding.”
A promising future
“Shoot for the stars, and worst case, you’ll land on the moon,” said Pearson. “So I’m shooting for the stars — the NFL.”
Pearson has taken his talents to two NFL scouting combines, two Canadian Football League workouts and plans to meet with the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos on May 11.
“I see him going to the CFL at the very least,” said Biggerstaff. “Just the other day, a scout from the St. Louis Rams called to have lunch with him.”
Rodney Beasley, Pearson’s trainer at Proehlific Park, is confident of Pearson’s chances.
“He’s got the drive, the skill and some serious speed,” said Beasley. “We just make sure there’s no ‘can’t’ in his vocabulary.”
As Pearson eagerly awaits a call-up, trainers, coaches and teammates alike have their fingers crossed.
“Rodney, my trainer, talks about it every day,” said Pearson. “He says, ‘Joe, I can’t wait for you to give me call one day and say that I made it, man. I made it.’”
“Jubilation will fill the coaches’ suite (if Pearson makes it to the pros),” said assistant football coach David Clark.
“Knowing that I had a part in his journey would make me feel good,” said Clark. “But, knowing that he got to where he wanted would be even sweeter.”
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