By Mike Robles
Asst. AD, Communications

DAVIS, Calif. - Offensive linemen often wallow in obscurity, drowned out the by the glare surrounding the quarterback and other more high-profile positions. It can be a lonely existence. Do your job, open the holes or block well on a pass, and it's the guy with the ball that usually gets the high-fives.

Mess up and allow a running back to get smothered in the backfield, or give up a QB-flattening sack, and you're out on an island by yourself with nowhere to hide.

But senior Parker Smith doesn't mind the pressure or flying under the radar, and at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds going unnoticed is certainly not easy. Rest assured, though, that the guys on the other side of the line know all about him, regardless of where on the line he sets up shop.

Versatility has served Smith well during his first three seasons as an Aggie and it'll certainly be vital this year when he moves from center to the ultra-important left tackle which hasn't had a starter other than All-Big Sky standout Ian Joseph since 2010.

"Early on in my career when I had to switch positions, I was pretty angry, but (now) I look at it as kind of an honor, like 'hey, we need help,'" Smith said. "I look at it as any way I can help the team, then I'm all for it."

Smith bounced around the offensive line during his first two seasons with the Aggies before opening his junior year in 2014 at right tackle after an injury to sophomore Christian Schneider. He later moved to center - regarded as the "quarterback" of the offensive line because of the blocking calls that have to be made after surveying how the defense is lined up - after senior Jay Luchetti was sidelined by injury. His play led to All-Big Sky honorable mention accolades.

Smith's ability to master the "cerebral" center position - as he describes it - and excel no matter where he's played was enough to convince head coach Ron Gould that left tackle would be Smith's final stop on the offensive line. He'll get plenty of attention as he faces the other team's best pass rusher game in and game out.

"We have a right-handed quarterback (Ben Scott) and although the center position is essential to making all the calls and those kinds of things, we need someone to protect the quarterback's blind side and he's our best offensive lineman," said third-year head coach Ron Gould. "He gives us the best opportunity to do just that."

UC Davis has seen a resurgence in its rushing attack under Gould, sparked by the explosive and elusive Gabe Manzanares, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards during his two seasons with the Aggies. The Aggies averaged close to 150 rushing yards a game last year after putting up 152.3 per contest in 2013. Those were the program's best numbers in more than a decade.

They ended the year with their best two-game total of the season, rushing for 266 yards and three touchdowns during a 48-35 win at Cal Poly, and adding 223 against Sacramento State. In all, UC Davis had four games in 2014 with at least 220 rushing yards. The offensive line also helped Scott quickly develop into a potent passer by giving him enough time to throw for 1,674 yards and 18 touchdowns in just six starts.

Smith said the line judges itself by three criteria.

"(First), we want rushing yards," he said. "We (the offensive line) live vicariously through the running backs because we can't score unless it's a broken play. It (was) nice to see our running backs in spring ball. They were showing what they've got and it's really exciting for us knowing that they're going to be behind us.

"Second are sacks," he added. "We reduced that number by half last year. That's a credit to our offensive line, coach (Dan) Finn, and also the quarterbacks who did a good job of getting rid of the ball quicker. I hope that falls by half again this year."

Finally, he said, the line looks to knockdowns and cuts, unofficial stats that carry more weight in the film room than putting all of the lineman on the scale at the same time.

"They're probably things that no one else cares about but those are our benchmarks for a good play or a good hit," said Smith.

Smith came to UC Davis from Archbishop Mitty High School in the Bay Area after earning West Coast Athletic League Offensive Lineman of the Year honors as a senior. He added San Jose Mercury News All-Area and San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro first-team accolades while helping his team to a 10-1 record and WCAL title in 2010.

He was also a standout in the classroom, earning memberships in the National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation. Smith is majoring in managerial economics at UC Davis.

Linemen like to stick together so it's no secret that he admires NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz, arguably the greatest offensive lineman in the league's history, who retired from the game before Smith was even born. Muñoz was a dominating tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals who was selected to 11 Pro Bowls between 1980-92.

His importance to the Bengals' success is not unlike the impact that Smith wants the offensive line to have with the Aggies. Gould said Smith has the skills necessary to make the move to left tackle.

"First and foremost is how bright he is," said Gould. "For him to be able to conceptualize our complex offense and to be able to move from guard to center to tackle speaks a lot about who he is and his willingness to learn.

"The other thing that goes a little bit unnoticed is he's a tremendous athlete," Gould added. "His ability to bend and flex and move direction sets him apart from most offensive linemen."

Smith represented UC Davis, along with Gould, at the recent Big Sky Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah. He was popular with the assembled media who were seemingly less interested in his play and more in his admiration of Richard Pryor, who co-wrote "Blazing Saddles", which introduced Pryor to him as a kid.

The event also gave him the opportunity to meet standout players from each of the other 12 Big Sky schools which Smith said was a fun experience. The players instantly bonded.

"It's pretty special," he said. "They're not on my team but they're in a family in the Big Sky. Regardless of what happens, you root for other guys in the playoffs and you want your conference to be represented well."

Gould said Smith has grown into a vocal leader who will be integral to the Aggies' success in 2015.

"He's a tremendous ambassador for our university and our program and he's going to do great things for us this year."