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by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
In football, every generation contains a few players (if we're lucky) who transcend their position and revolutionize a part of the game forever: Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith, Tom Brady, but when we talk offensive linemen most football fans yawn, sigh or fail to even recognize their impact in regards to wins or losses.
Many used to underrate the importance of having thoroughbred pass-rushers; Now, Super Bowl-contending teams are expected to house a stable of edge-rushers and backfield-affecting D-Linemen....but why hasn't this view of the modern offensive line changed?
Where will the next Offensive Line innovator come from???
We feel there's only one offensive lineman currently changing the rules of the game:
Robinson Secondary senior TRISTAN LEIGH...
Have you ever seen an offensive tackle beat and compulsively bully a world class edge rusher as if he's auditioning for a role in a Tarantino film?
Watch Tristan Leigh on the field and now you've got far more on your hands than a chill guy with a cool family and awesome hair, this is a young offensive tackle who perpetrates D-Line crimes on most downs for fun.
If Michael Myers wore a football helmet, rocked the fro, held offers from every school in the nation and played offensive tackle for Robinson Secondary, he would be Tristan Leigh.......for an offensive lineman, I can think of no higher compliment within my arsenal.
Commanding your eyes away from a bevy of skill position specimen and star quarterbacks, Tristan Leigh can be seen tossing around opponents like he's playing against second graders, obliterating edge rushers and linebackers with panache, unbridled physicality and brute, medieval force....
Unlike many offensive linemen, Tristan is a Freight Train of Leigh Pain coming at ya ....and we're talking about Leigh battling against some of the most talented high school players in the country across the state of Virginia....and he never seems to lose any individual battle, all while influencing stronger collective performances from Robinson's entire O-line.
Despite losing 42-14 during last year's state playoffs, Robinson's Leigh-led O-line allowed only a single sack & 3 tackles for loss, proving to be a strength of their team.
In fact, Tristan seals the edge like an iron curtain, executes every block from hell bent for leather drive-blocks, vicious kickouts, even barrelhouse down blocking (absolutely destroying interior linemen);
Always aware of his surroundings, we've seen Tristan bail out his left guard when shutting down stunting edge-rushers, we've witnessed him smash back-side blocks with the best of 'em, he pass-protected with finesse during camps and....
....Accordingly, Tristan is a complete dictator in trench warfare authority...
....a Sultan of O-Line Savagery...
There are snaps where you're expecting to see a ref ring the bell and mercifully break up the "DE or DT abuse" before Tristan really gets out of hand....however, for many of these hapless defenders, that bell never rings, leaving opponents stuck with the prospect of Leigh-annihilation for 60 minutes.
From our extensive film study of Tristan Leigh, we feel no other offensive lineman out there can match his boundless ceiling of talent, ruthless combat or thoroughly realized dominion....we doubt the existence of any lineman who's as physically brilliant in attrition and smart in his mano e mano battles as Leigh (LSU commit Garrett Dellinger, the Brockermeyer brothers and J.C Latham come close).
Always starting strong off the line, we rarely witness Leigh off balance or caught off guard, but even when he allows an edge rusher around his left shoulder, he'll recover with a majestically executed left arm punch to block their path to the quarterback.
Though he'll rapidly grow as a pass-blocker under Joe Moore Award-winning Coach James Cregg (if Tristan were to join Louisiana State University's football program) his major strengths currently lie in his renegade run support or innate understanding of complex blocking schemes, all of which will serve as the perfect basis for this 5 star talent's development.
Without a doubt, Tristan Leigh is the best Offensive lineman of the class: Leigh comes from an awesome family (we've spoken to his mother Laura a few times, interviews found on lsuodyssey.com), the Robinson OT also remains the surest bet of the 2021 class. He has the highest ceiling and talent, matched alongside his true character, intense work ethic and chill vibe, Tristan has a rare combination which signifies true generational impact....both on and off the field:
Off the field, Leigh has shown another side to his character: protective, loyal older brother, family anchor and most recently, activist.
Leigh has spoken out on behalf of Virginia high school football players, asking for the state to let his senior class finish their youth careers the right way, gaining massive support as he took to the podium at outdoor public events. With this act of unselfishness, Leigh continues to show his true makeup....the growth of a champion.
Make no mistake, Tristan Leigh is LSU's #1 priority, and considering his consistent travel to Baton Rouge, the interest seems mutual.
We talked to Tristan below:
LONN: You remind me of a La'El Collins mixed with Chris Samuels, Tristan.
TRISTAN: Thank you!
LONN: You bully people out there, man, do you take their lunch money too? I don't think I've seen an OT more vicious.
TRISTAN: I’d say the physicality is because I literally want to murder the person In front of me, when I look at him I see him as he in the way of me getting my momma and girl whatever they want man, before the game I sit in the shower area by myself in the dark and I think about violent thing I wanna do to them, I think about taking away there passion for the game by beating them the whole game, little by little breaking them down physically and mentally...I want their soul.
LONN: Where does your physicality come from and why does it look so effortless?
TRISTAN: Effortless from my heart from the game, I want to win more than anything.
LONN: Tristan you are a G!!!! I don't think I've ever heard an offensive lineman talk about football with such intensity, you are already a big hit with Tigers fans.
TRISTAN: Thank you sir!
LONN: Is Robinson looking for revenge against Lake Braddock after last year (Braddock beat Robinson during last year's playoffs)??
TRISTAN: Yeah we boutta kill them boyz!
LONN: You know man, even though you guys lost that game to Braddock, Robinson's O line only allowed 1 Sack and Braddock only had 3 TFLs. You held your own end of the bargain my man. What does it mean following in your father's footsteps as a high octane football player?
TRISTAN: It means a lot man, tryna put my family on the map. Edmunds brothers did it first, now it’s my turn (referencing NFL powerhouse family / Danville, Virginia-natives Tremaine, Terrell and Trey Edmunds, brothers who show out for Buffalo Bills (Tremaine) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Terrell and Trey).
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2020 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
BLACK LIVES MATTER
SHOUTOUTS: Thank you Tristan & Laura!
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