Reid Najvar at center of K-State’s offensive line resurgence

Reid Najvar used to hate the idea of playing center.

Put him at at guard, move him to tackle or let him try tight end. Anything sounded better than lining up in the middle of his high school offensive line.

“I didn’t think I could ever multi-task well enough,” Najvar said, “to be good at snapping the ball and moving my feet.”

Fast forward to his junior year of college, and the 6-foot-4, 290 pound Kansas State blocker sings a much different tune.

“Now, I love it,” Najvar said. “You get to take control of the offensive line. It’s fun.”

Success has a funny way of changing opinions. And Najvar has found oodles of success since he surprisingly made the move from backup guard to starting center last August. Many, including Najvar, wondered why K-State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey sent returning starter Dalton Risner to right tackle and replaced him with a novice, but the change has paid major dividends.

After some initial blocking struggles, K-State’s offensive line finished the season playing as well as any group in the country. Its blocking paved the way for the Wildcats to average 290 rushing yards during its final six games and finish 5-1.

Najvar was a big reason.

“That was a lot of pressure on him being a first-time starter at a position as significant as the center,” K-State coach Bill Snyder said. “He’s played extremely well. He’s given good leadership and guidance. He’s a tough young guy and I appreciate that. He’s going to give you his best each and every snap.”

It wasn’t a painless transition, but the process of learning how to play center went far smoother than Najvar predicted.

One day in preseason camp, Dickey told Najvar to play center. Najvar asked why, explaining he had never played the position before or been fond of its demands. Dickey told him to give it a try anyway. When he showed talent, he stayed there.

It was a wise move.

“He is a great center,” Risner said. “I would say he is doing a better job than I was. I was young and I had a lot of room to improve. I give him a lot of credit. He has done a tremendous job for us.”

Learning how to read defenses and call out blocking assignments was the hardest thing to master, but running the ball so effectively made that job easier.

“I love running the ball,” Najvar said. “That is the main reason I came here. There is nothing better than moving a guy from point A to point B against his own will.”

Najvar’s reward for a strong season: a trip home for the Texas Bowl. Najvar is from Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb, and will get the opportunity to play in front of his parents and five siblings at NRG Stadium.

He is excited about the game, but his mentality remains the same as it was during the regular season.

“I have come a long way from Game 1, but I still have a lot of improvement to make,” Najvar said. “I am always trying to get better. That’s what I focused on this entire season.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Reid Najvar at center of K-State’s offensive line resurgence."