COLUMBIA — The great contradiction for offensive linemen is that they are required to be mobile and immobile all at the same time. Running does not always come natural to players whose primary duty is to obstruct.
“We’re all over 300 pounds. We don’t want to run,” said South Carolina senior left tackle Mason Zandi. “None of us want to go running.”
D.J. Park certainly didn’t — and yet, that’s part of what it took for the former Shrine Bowl selection from Dillon to earn a spot on USC’s first-team offensive line. The 6-4, 330-pound Park embraced an offseason conditioning routine that has transformed a one-time special teamer into the Gamecocks’ potential starter at right tackle.