Phil Trautwein - Only the Strong
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 | Football
By: Kelly Reynolds, UF Communications
It's no secret that redshirt senior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein is a leader of the 2008 Gator football squad. As one of four seniors on the squad attending graduate school, Trautwein will graduate from UF this December with an undergraduate degree, a master's degree and SEC and National Championship rings from the University of Florida, a feat only four members of the 105-man football squad can claim.
One of the front five that protects junior quarterback Tim Tebow, Trautwein has developed into one of the best left tackles Florida has produced. At six-foot-six, 310 pounds, Trautwein teams up with sophomores Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, and fellow redshirt seniors Jim Tartt and Jason Watkins each game day to create the offensive wall that allows Tebow and the UF offense to strike repeatedly against opponents. With a combined 15 years of Gator football experience between Tartt, Trautwein and Watkins, the veterans have taken the Pounceys and the younger offensive linemen, including redshirt sophomores Marcus Gilbert and Carl Johnson, under their wings.
Trautwein, a Voorhees, N.J., native, has been through it all as a Gator, and that's partially why the offensive line has grown together, exhibiting chemistry and synergy on the field each game. The collaboration has developed as more than an on-the-field experience for the offensive line. They're best friends off the field as well. Credit the veterans on the line, including Trautwein, for bringing the group together. While the younger linemen work on transitioning to college ball and the Florida style of play, the veterans serve not only as role models, but as teachers and friends to the newbies. Trautwein and his senior counterparts have been there before. They know the rewards of hard work and where the daily grind, that might seem overwhelming at first, can take them in the end.
Part of what's made Trautwein's experience as a Gator unforgettable are the trials he's been through. Although one of them he'd more than likely rather forget, most of them have been a learning experience that Trautwein has taken full advantage of. Now in his fifth year at Florida, Trautwein, who was originally recruited by former Gator coach Ron Zook, was forced to take a medical redshirt last season after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in preseason drills. The fracture held him out the entire season, but characteristic of the offensive line, Trautwein looked at his injury as an opportunity to improve.
“Last year, when I was sitting on the cart, I'd roll up to people and tell them what they needed to work on,” Trautwein said. “People would also come up to me and say, 'Hey what do I need to work on?' That was my job. After practice, or whenever I would have time, I would go watch film with them. I really didn't have to do it, but I did it for them. That's what made me have a special bond with them. I can tell them whatever I want and they'll understand and they have that trust and respect with me. As a leader, that's what you need.”
Trautwein's determination and mentality as a leader have translated into his life off the football field as well. It's no surprise that he is such a good mentor to his younger offensive linemen. Trautwein graduated with his bachelor's degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences last December and will earn his master's in Educational Leadership this December.
An active member of the Goodwill Gators, UF's community outreach program that serves to foster citizenship between the Gator administration, coaches, student-athletes and the Gainesville community, Trautwein has participated in a number of community service projects, including the local Jump Rope for Heart event, allowing him to give back to the community, while the Gainesville community utilizes the leader in Trautwein as a role model for the children.
Additionally, Trautwein, a 2006 SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, serves as a captain of the 2008 football team and was also voted to the 2008 Football Leadership Committee by his teammates. As a member of the Leadership Committee, he has the opportunity to prove his leadership abilities off the field in front of his peers. The Florida Football Leadership Committee distinguishes Trautwein as a team leader as a member of the eminent group that is comprised of approximately 15 current members of the football team. The members of the committee serve as spokesmen of the Gator football program regarding subjects such as team policies, team academics and any off-campus situations that arise.
While Trautwein's off-the-field involvement has labeled him as a leader, his leadership and experience on the field has helped him to cultivate a bond between the members of the entire o-line. Together, the line works for one common goal, and that's to be the best in the country.
“In magazines, we aren't even up there for best offensive line,” Trautwein said at the beginning of the 2008 season. “In my opinion, we are, and that's what's motivating us, making us better and driving us this whole season. We're ready to show that we're the best.”
Showing they're the best is exactly what the offensive line is doing this season. When Trautwein and his senior linemen counterparts exhaust their final eligibility with the Gators after this season, the veterans can find comfort in knowing they've left a legacy of commitment and hard work with members of the line, and they can only hope the bond of the front five will carry on.
-UF-
