Titanic tackle
Michael Roos has played two seasons in the National Football League and the former Eastern Washington All-American has already put together an impressive resume.
He has started every game – 40 counting preseason – since the Tennessee Titans made him a second-round draft pick in 2005. Last season they switched him from right tackle to left tackle, trusting him with the blindside protection of franchise quarterback Vince Young.
“Mike made an immediate impact for us playing right tackle as a rookie and then moving over to left tackle for us this year as the needs of the team changed,” Tennessee offensive line coach Mike Munchak said. “There are not a lot of guys, especially young players, who would be able to do that.”
What makes that more impressive, as Eagles fans know, is that Roos didn’t start playing football until his senior year at Mountain View High School in Vancouver, Wash. Even then, he was recruited to Eastern as a tight end and moved to defense as a redshirt freshman before landing at left tackle, where he started all 35 games over three seasons.
So if the adjustment to the pro game appears natural and simple, it wasn’t.
“Add all those games together and the size and speed of the players and the speed the game, it really becomes physically draining,” said Roos, who has added 20 pounds to 315 on his 6-foot-7 frame. “But more than that, it was mentally draining. College wasn’t as mentally draining week to week.”
Roos’ first start was at left tackle, but he moved to right tackle when veteran Brad Hopkins returned for the remainder of a 4-12 season. Hopkins’ retirement prompted the switch back to left tackle.
“I prefer the left side,” Roos said. “Every week you have the challenge of a team’s best past rusher. Every time you have zero sacks, or do a good job, it gives you a lot more confidence going into next week. It keeps you on your game and keeps you working hard.”
Seeing names such as Dwight Freeney of Indianapolis, Shawne Merriman of San Diego and Jason Taylor of Miami on a scouting report does get one’s attention.
“Luckily, it happened last March,” Roos said of the switch. “I had the off-season to mentally prepare, work my muscle memory back to the left side. After the first couple of games I got the jitters out. It’s not the same as playing left tackle at Eastern, but it was familiar.”
He held his own, even against the three All-Pros he mentioned.
“They’re all pretty darn good. It’s tough to pick just one,” Roos said. “Against those three, I felt I did pretty well. I didn’t give up any sacks. It’s not always going to look pretty when you’re playing left tackle.”
The Titans started the season 0-5, but that was a great excuse to make Young, their No. 1 draft pick, the starter. By the end of the season the Titans had an 8-8 record with the fifth-best rushing attack in the NFL and a franchise-record 4.7 yards-per-carry average.
In addition to protecting a rookie, the Titans linemen had to protect a running rookie. Young become the first rookie quarterback to exceed 500 rushing yards.
Roos was used to that because of his two years in front of former Eagles All-American quarterback Erik Meyer.
“It helps knowing the type of mind-set the quarterback has. You kind of know if the opportunity is there (to run), he’s going to take it,” Roos said. “You might feel you’re getting beat, but the quarterback has more time to get out of it because he’s so agile.”