McKnight said he prefers players with attitude and effort over raw ability (photo by SMU athletics).

It’s often said that a team, or players, can end up resembling their coach. If that is the end result with SMU’s offensive line, there are a lot of defensive linemen around Conference USA who should be a little worried for their physical well-being.

When June Jones was hired in January as SMU’s new head coach, PonyFans immediately began enjoying visions of the aerial circus that was the Hawaii offense during Jones’ tenure on the islands. Initial questions centered around whether SMU could find a quarterback who could emulate Hawaii’s Colt Brennan? Who would portray wide receiver Davone Bess?

But before the Ponies’ passing attack can get untracked, the quarterback — whoever it is — must be protected. All of the records set over the years by Hawaii quarterbacks like Brennan and Timmy Chang wouldn’t have fallen if the UH passers had fallen too often.

That’s where Dennis McKnight comes in. Perhaps the least well-known of the assistant coaches who followed Jones to Dallas from the islands, he might end up being the most important. If he can teach the SMU linemen the techniques he employed in an 11-year NFL career that included a Pro Bowl appearance when he played guard for the San Diego Charters, the offense will have a much better chance to succeed. If he can’t … maybe he can suit up.

He looks like he still could suit up. The 6-foot-3-inch McKnight has biceps that are almost as big as his shaved head. He sports a few tattoos and rides a Harley. During spring workouts, he eschewed the traditional coach’s gear of SMU shorts and visors in favor of black sweatpants and boots that might have been issued by the military. If nothing else, the man certainly looks the part.

“One of the first things we talk about as an offensive line is attitude,” McKnight said. “These guys are going to hit harder, play tougher and play meaner.”

McKnight, who was born in Dallas and moved to New York before high school, said that as a young player, it was that attitude that made him an effective blocker when he didn’t grow as quickly as some of his teammates and opponents.

“I was only 6-foot-2, 205 when I came out of high school,” McKnight said. “I could long-snap pretty good, and once I got my foot in the door, I took advantage of it.”

McKnight insists he was just 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds coming out of high school (photo by Webmaster).

Toughness and long-snapping aside, not a lot of colleges look for 205-pound blockers. He ended up at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he grew until his frame matched his intensity, allowing him to pursue a professional career.

“Either you have the attitude, or you don’t,” McKnight said. “Personality is what it is, but attitude is very important. You have to have technique to succeed in any offense, but you have to have attitude.

“There are three important qualities I look at in linemen: Ability, effort and attitude, and not in that order. Attitude is the most important of all of them, followed by effort. I’ll take guys with great attitude and effort over guys with great ability any day.”

When he came to SMU, McKnight inherited a relatively young group of offensive linemen after the Ponies lost Caleb Peveto, Kenard Burley, Ben Poynter and Joe Holmes to graduation. But while his crew of linemen is relatively young, McKnight said he sees a lot of potential in the group.

“Bryce Tennison has that attitude you look for,” McKnight said. “He doesn’t just want to block you — he wants to embarrass you, to pummel you. He has a great attitude. Kelvin Beachum — the sky’s the limit for that guy, for how good he can be. He’s got to get stronger, but he works hard and he’s got all the tools.

“Sean Lobo is a veteran guy who has been through the wars, which is a great thing to have in your senior leaders. Mitch Enright is really smart, IQ-wise — not only book-wise, although he’s going to walk out of here in five years with his Master’s … Mitch is really smart, football-wise, too. Then you’ve got Tommy Poynter. He’s a lot like me, in that he’s not the most athletically gifted guy in the world, but he’s tough and he’s smart and he’s mean. He’s another guy who’s going to get his master’s degree before he’s done. Vincent Chase is a guy who, since we don’t have a tight end in our offense, has moved to tackle, and he’s doing a really good job. This is his first time playing the position, and he’s got a chance to compete for a starting spot.”

McKnight was a Pro Bowl alternate in 1988 as a member of the San Diego Chargers (photo by SWSMG).

McKnight also spoke highly of the younger players hoping to earn their spots in the line rotation.

“Josh LeRibeus has a world of potential. Kelly Turner is a really strong, tough guy. J.T. Brooks is another big guy with a bunch of potential who can contribute for us.

“The last guys (coaches) really did a good job recruiting some good young linemen here.”

For McKnight, though, all of the size and strength and physical tools still take a back seat to the attitude he covets in his linemen.

“You can tell a player’s attitude on film,” he said. “You watch a film, and you see a guy who makes that last shove, that last punch. Is a guy going to be nasty? Or is he content just being in front of a guy? Does he help a guy up off the field? Does he run downfield pumping his fist? Those are the little things we look for.”

That McKnight is in coaching at all is a little surprising. After retiring from the NFL, he and a former teammate went into business together as car wash co-owners. He started coaching at San Diego’s St. Augustin High School, and got to know June Jones when Jones was coaching the Chargers. As he got to know Jones, he knew he’d like to work for him, and when the opportunity arose to join him in Hawaii, McKnight jumped at it.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play for one of the greatest guys in the world, in (former Chargers head coach) Don Coryell, and now I’ve coached with one of the greatest guys in the world, in June — players love him,” McKnight said. “Between Don Coryell and June Jones, I’ve really been spoiled.”

His new players seem to feel the same way about McKnight. Ask them about their new position coach, and chances are the answer will include obligatory remarks about McKnight being “crazy.” But pursue the question a little further, and answers also include descriptions like “great teacher” or “really cool guy.”

Not a bad description for a guy who’s supposed to be crazy.