SDSU Football Media Day: Mason McCormick pouring into younger players, teaching them the Jackrabbit way
Except for on rare occasions, Mason McCormick serves as an immovable object stationed at left guard in South Dakota State football’s offensive line.
At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, there are few players strong enough, or explosive enough to break through his brick wall-like blocking. Some of his teammates learned that the hard way.
During a practice drill Monday, the linebacker across from him was giving everything he could to get the immovable McCormick to budge. He kicked his legs off the ground to muster up force and dug his arms into McCormick’s chest, but McCormick just stood there, arms extended, feet stationed firmly on the ground, largely unbothered.
His size and physicality will help keep opposing defenses from breaking the pocket and pressuring third-year quarterback Mark Gronowski.
Now in his sixth season with the Jackrabbits, McCormick has taken it upon himself to be a leader for the younger players.
"I just want to be able to develop these young guys at this point," McCormick said during media day Monday. "I want to get these young guys in a spot to set this program up for future success. I feel like this place has done so much for me. I just want to give back and pour into them as much as I possibly can."
SDSU coach Jimmy Rogers said just watching McCormick and seeing how a pro takes on practice on a daily basis is beneficial for his teammates. He credited McCormick with playing a role in developing their younger talent, not just on the offensive line or the offense but throughout the team, and it's easy to see why.
When the team came together for drills, McCormick led the linemen into position alongside their coach. After drills, he pulled freshman Kenyon Big Bow aside and gave him feedback on what just happened.
“It's just really cool to see how he's trying to reach out to the younger guys and reach out to the second group of linemen and try to develop them,” Gronowski said during media day Monday. “He knows that when he's gone, he has to leave a legacy on them and try to elevate their game. So when he ends up leaving, along with a couple other guys, they're ready to step up and continue the Jackrabbit way.”
The Sioux Falls Roosevelt graduate said it means a lot to him to be playing his final season of college football so close to where he grew up and where he played high school football.
"This place has given me everything,” McCormick said of the SDSU football program. “I feel like just being able to give back to the community and the fans around here is amazing, and obviously, being from only 45 minutes away from here, having my family being able to come up to these games it means the world to me.”
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SDSU Media Day Mason McCormick teaching younger players the Jackrabbit way
