Tedrick Cofield, Javoris Wilburn lead Albany State up front

ALBANY — Before Albany State quarterback Caleb Edmonds snaps the ball, center Tedrick Cofield has already been hard at work.

Most of the junior center’s labor on the offensive front goes unnoticed to the average fan, but Cofield’s work can’t be measured.

“We put a lot of pressure on Cofield,” Albany State head football coach Dan Land said. “Now he makes all the calls, so everything starts with him. The thing about Cofield, he has to identify the mike linebacker and then all other stuff and then he has to be on the same page with (quarterback) Caleb (Edmonds). Those two always have to be on the same page. When you don’t have someone being able to make those calls, we’re in trouble.

“If you’re going to make a quarterback make all the calls, then make the adjustments and all the different alignments, it’s tough. We put a lot on Cofield.”

Cofield and senior left tackle Javoris Wilburn are two of the biggest standouts on a veteran offensive front that has helped the Rams average 325.8 yards per game.

They would rather not have the spotlight, instead letting Edmonds or running back Jarvis Small and McKinley Habersham get the accolades. As long as the finger isn’t pointed at them, they’re fine. They certainly don’t mind springing a block that leads to a touchdown.

But they receive plenty of criticism when a busted play doesn’t result in a positive gain.

“We’re together,” Wilburn said. “If one falls, one misses a block or if one goes down, we’re all in trouble. There can’t be any individualism on the offensive line. We all have to be together.”

But their hard work was noticed by SIAC coaches and sports information directors when Wilburn and Cofield were both named to the preseason all-conference teams.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Wilburn is from Warren County High School, while Cofield (6-3, 315) is from Westlake High School in metro Atlanta.

Land knows the value the pair bring to the team.

“It always starts with them,” he said. “I tell them all the time, if my big guys are going, everybody else is going to be fine. That is going to tell me exactly what type of game we are going to have. If they’re ready and they’re blocking, we are fixing to have a good game.”

But it wasn’t always easy. Wilburn has steadily progressed at left tackle and he usually draws the task of protecting Edmonds’ front side since the quarterback is left-handed. Land said the most impressive aspect to Wilburn’s play this season is that he has played hurt.

The senior discovered during preseason camp that he has a partially torn ligament in his knee which will eventually require surgery. But Land said his standout left tackle wasn’t missing his senior season.

“The thing with Wilburn that makes me a proud coach is when you see a guy and know he is hurt and he’s still playing and playing well,” Land said. “You know you have somebody who is special.”

Cofield developed into a standout after learning from four-year starter Victor Moli, the Rams’ All-American center in 2014. The soft-spoken junior said the team just wants to play well together.

“Good thing I have two veterans with me, big (Wilburn) and Greg (Farms),” Cofield said. “I look up to big because he knows our offense. We must help each other. We’re like brothers. When one of us messes up, we have to take the fall for it.”

Wilburn and Cofield hope to continue leading the offensive front as the Rams hit the meat of their SIAC schedule, starting at Morehouse on Saturday.

As long as the offense continues to pile up the yards and the points, the Rams (2-3) won’t be complaining — at least on the offensive line.

“We could be even better,” Wilburn said. “That’s our goal is to get better every day, put more yards up, put more touchdowns up and more points on the board, and make our playmakers as successful as we can.”