There is an old adage in football that says you never notice an offensive lineman until they miss a block. For o-line veterans, toiling in relative anonymity away from the statistics and the glory, that is something that they have come to accept and embrace. However, as all football fans know, if you don’t have an offensive line, then you don’t have a football team.

It is this type of life in the trenches that inaugural U.S. National Football Team member, Andrew Donnal, has thrived in. Now entering his fourth year in the NFL, having played with the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and now the Detroit Lions, Donnal has become a valuable commodity with his ability to play multiple spots on the line.

A product of the fabled University of Iowa “offensive line factory,” Donnal recently took some time to reminisce with us about his time Team USA and what the experience meant to him.

EM: I’m always curious when it comes to guys who play the line, growing up were you always a “big guy” or did you kind of grow into being a lineman?

AD: Yeah, I was always a big guy and I was always on the line. When I was a kid, I was always teeter-tottering between the weight limits that you could playback then. Yep, I have always been the trenches and that’s always been my calling card.

EM: When did you become a full-time offensive lineman? I’m assuming a big guy was asked to play both sides of the ball even through high school, right?

AD: Right. I didn’t make the full-time switch until college. In high school, I played defensive lineman, defensive end. Once I got to college, I knew I wanted to just play offensive line. My school wanted me to play that as well, so it worked out.

EM: Before we talk about your time at Iowa, back in high school, did you play any other sports? If you did, as a lineman, did any of those other sports help your football game?

AD: I did, I played basketball and ran track. I think it’s important to play other sports because it expands your mind as you have to learn other sports and their nuances, and it obviously helps you athletically. There are different movements that you get on a basketball court than what you get on a football field, but they all still translate.

I think playing multiple sports helps make you a better all-around athlete and I think just getting some competition brings out the competitor in you which is crucial when you’re in high school. That helps you develop good habits going forward.

EM: Perfect, those are great points. So, let’s talk about the Hawkeyes. How did you decide the University of Iowa was where you wanted to go to college?

AD: Really, the only thing I knew about Iowa going into the recruitment process was that they had really good offensive lineman coming out of there. That appealed to me because I knew that’s where I was going to be playing and I wanted to be the best that I could be. I’m super happy that I chose there. The coaching staff, I believe, truly helped me be ready for the next level.

EM: As a fan of college football and a former toiler on the o-line, I’ve always been curious about that aspect of Iowa history. What is it about that program that consistently produces great offensive lineman that go on to the NFL? What do they do there that emphasizes that?

AD: You know, Iowa just has a great tradition of coaches that take guys who are underdeveloped when they get there and coach them up. I was not really known coming out of high school in that I wasn’t getting a bunch of four or five stars in the recruiting process.

What Iowa really does well is seeing the potential and developing talent on the offensive line. I think a lot of the guys that you see going to Iowa are kind of under the radar. But, after a few years, a lot of people know those guys and know their names now.

EM: Let’s talk about Team USA now. How did you first learn about the U.S. National Football Team?

AD: The first time I heard about it was when I got the call that I was selected to play in the game. I was super excited about it. That was one of my first experiences in getting to play with guys who I didn’t go to high school with. I got a chance to see what some of the real talent out there was in terms of guys my age and my graduating class.

EM: What do you remember most about those first practices with the rest of the team? What was that experience like for you?

AD: Getting the chance to meet and play with guys from all over the country was something that really appealed to me. One of the things I like most about football is that it gives you the chance to meet people from all aspects of life that you wouldn’t normally get to encounter. The Team USA experience was the first chance that I got to truly understand that.

It was a little nerve-wracking those first few practices for me in that I was going into what I thought was a ‘real’ football practice. It was different from what I was used to in high school and took me a little time to adjust to them. But it was really a great learning experience and helped get me in gear for what was to come in college.

EM: Did it mean anything ‘special’ for you to put on the Team USA colors and uniform that first time?

AD: Absolutely. Normally, the national anthem is always an emotional song for me. To get the chance to be out on the field representing my country and hearing the national anthem, that was something I will always remember as being very special to me.

EM: Last thing before I let you get back to work, how would you describe your overall experience as part of the U.S. National Football Team?

AD: I had a great experience as part of Team USA. I got the chance to meet people from not only the whole country but from all over the world. I got the chance to interact with some really good coaches and all of that was an experience I wouldn’t normally get the chance to do. I had a lot of fun and I can’t recommend participating in the International Bowl enough to everyone.

Photos are courtesy of the University of Iowa and Detroit Lions.