Zach Line takes pride in SMU’s rebound

[PonyPride]

Line takes pride in SMU’s rebound

Zach Line (Tom Dahlin/Viking Update)
By John Holler
VikingUpdate.com
Posted Aug 12, 2013

Fullback Zach Line knows he has an uphill battle to make the Vikings’ roster, but he is no stranger to overcoming odds, both individually and in helping bring back a once-shamed college program.

Zach Line is no stranger to being a long shot.

The fullback got his name on the radar of Vikings fans last Friday when he took a swing pass at the line of scrimmage and, thanks to excellent lead blocking from wide receiver Stephen Burton and a couple of moves on defenders downfield, scored a 61-yard touchdown. But his is a story that runs a little deeper when it comes to beating the odds.

An all-state high school running back in Michigan, Line had several offers to play for Division I colleges, but he was put under the spell of Southern Methodist University head coach June Jones. One of the brightest offensive innovators in the history of college and pro football, Jones was taught the run-and-shoot offense by legendary Mouse Davis. After spending almost a decade at the University of Hawaii, in 2008, Jones was brought in to reclaim the pride of the SMU program, which had lived under a dark cloud for more than two decades.

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