Trace Ott (JR/Orange Beach, Ala.) is listed as an offensive lineman on Kansas Wesleyan's roster.
It's a generic term meaning he could be aligned at guard, tackle or center on the football field. Ott actually plays the latter two positions but does not identify with any specific position.
"I don't think of myself as a center or right tackle or right guard – I'm just a football player," said Ott, the Coyotes' starting center this season. "If it means us getting a win I'll go back there and take snaps at running back. Whatever. Doesn't matter to me as long as it ends in a win. I'm confident in my ability that they can put me anywhere and I can get the job done."
Ott played center two seasons at Hutchinson Community College after lining up at tackle in high school at Autauga Academy in Montgomery, Ala. At KWU he played tackle last fall before moving back to center this season.
"At Hutch with the talent we had on our team playing center there was a growing experience," he said. "I was seeing the best of the best every day in practice and to come here and do it again and be able to switch around like that has been fun."
Ott has done the job quite well this season, serving as signal caller for the line that has cleared the way for the No. 5-ranked Coyotes' juggernaut offense that's averaging 49 points and 509 total yards a game.
Ott and Co. face a stern Senior Day test against No. 13 Southwestern in a 1 p.m. game today at Graves Family Sports Complex. At stake is KWU's third outright Kansas Conference championship in four years and a berth in the NAIA playoffs that begin a week from Saturday.
As the center Ott is the knowledge bank for the line and calls the blocking assignments before plays. Having played tackle makes the job easier.
"It gives you a sense of being the quarterback for the offensive line," he said. "You have to understand and know everybody's responsibilities and what their jobs are. (Playing tackle) really did help with just being able to understand protections more and in our running game what we have to do and where (defenders) are more than likely going to end up.
"In my opinion there's nothing more satisfying than the feeling of taking a man and moving him from point A to point B against his will."
Wesleyan's linemen are a close-knit group on and off the field, according to Ott.
"The chemistry is one of the best groups I've been a part of," he said. "We all know each other so well; you see one of us somewhere and we're all together and we really have that brother part of it down.
"What makes us so good is we see the field through one set of eyes instead of five different individuals. That's huge because we're at the point now where I can communicate with Chase (Strother) and Nolan (Harris) and Jaren (Hightower) and Jake (Balderrama) without saying any words."
Ott replaced last year's starter and All-KCAC selection Brett Stindt after he graduated. Ott played tackle in the fall of 2020 but sat out the Coyotes' three games in the spring of 2021 with an injury.
KWU coach Myers Hendrickson had options at tackle and knew Ott had experience at center, making the decision to move him easier.
"He's so versatile and such a great leader," Hendrickson said. "You've got to have somebody you're comfortable with being the leader of your offensive line at center. He represents that. He calls the shots and does a great job for us at center."
Ott said his and other injuries in the spring, coupled with having to play a split schedule a year, served this year's team well.
"I feel like that helped the identity of this team last spring with all the injuries we had," he said. "Our team has that next man up mentality; one guy goes down and whoever's next it's your shot so it's time to go ball. You talk to guys in the locker room and we'll do whatever it takes to win and that's what has helped us in the long run."
Southwestern defeated Wesleyan 42-21 last October in Salina, one of the Coyotes' two losses during the season. Ott, though, said revenge isn't the motivation Saturday.
"We think a little bit about last year but last year is in the past and we're in the here and now trying to be where our feet are," he said. "When I was growing up that was one thing my folks instilled in me is that when you compete against other people you start to become bitter. But when you compete against yourself every day that's when you get better.
"(Southwestern) is the next one in the way and we've got to go through them."