'6 Pack of Bear': With Blake Blackmar, every word is gold (and green)

There's an unwritten rule in sports journalism that offensive linemen are the best athletes to talk to -- primarily because most journalists want to speak with the athletes who score the touchdowns. The rule is that offensive linemen are great interviews because they always have something to say.

Blake Blackmar recently supported that argument.

Blackmar has a respectable charm about him that screams "Lone Star State." The Houston native greets everyone new with a "Howdy." He has just enough of a southern drawl that makes you want to hear story after story. He also is quick-witted when answering tough questions.

Now in his third season at Baylor, Blackmar is ready to lead the Bears' offensive line under a new staff. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds -- although he admits to never seeing that weight on the scale -- Blackmar is projected as Baylor's standout right guard this season. He not only held his own as both a guard and tackle last season but also showed his worth off the field as a member of the Academic All-Big 12 Team.

Blackmar spoke with SicEm365 at the Big 12 Media Days in Frisco. During the discussion, he talked about being a leader, getting to know Rhule and much more -- all while showcasing that charm he possesses.

We’ve seen you listed at 332 pounds. We’ve seen 350. You don’t look either one. Give us the scoop.

"I was never 350 ... maybe 349 at some point. I'm 327 now. I played all the last two years at 345, but the new guys came in and said there's a team rule saying they don't want anyone over 315. I was there going, 'Ohhhhh ... mannnn!'

"You do the typical beginning of any training session, and you take a picture. The new strength coaches are asking me, 'Are you sure you're 345?' They saw the scale. They've always told me I carry [the weight] well, but I've really pushed to get down to 327. Coach Rhule and Coach DeLeone told me I don't have to get to 315. They said I'm pretty fit."

You’re the big dog on campus, literally and figuratively, but it’s with leadership as well as size. What are you doing to show that leadership in and out of the locker room?

"Personally, I've never been a big rah-rah speech guy. I just try to show up every day and lead by example. Now that we're older and have to step up in this transition, I look at guys like Spencer Drango and Kyle Fuller. Neither of them were huge in giving speeches, but they were consistent, they showed up to work every day, and they took the time out of their day to talk to guys personally and say this is what we needed to do. I'm really just trying to emulate what they've done, because they're both very successful and really helped lead the team."

"If you would have asked me as a freshman, I would say I know what it means and what it takes to be consistent. The biggest thing I've learned now is how to approach every day and how to be consistent, how to be the same guy, how not to get too low whenever you're going through something. Everything about football is long. The offseason is long. The season is long. You have to be the same guy every day, and you have to try and get better each and every day. I've learned how to approach that so where you don't burn out."

With the o-line, Coach Rhule has said depth is a concern. What has he said to you guys, and how are you taking the depth discussion?

"Last year, we played with limited depth. There were probably seven or eight of us who rotated in. As far as what Coach Rhule has told us, he hasn't said much other than the best five players are going to play, and we're not going to be afraid to play a freshman. That's kind of taken for granted, because we're going to have to.

"I think it's been about keeping that same offensive line mindset we've had since I've been there. You put your hard hat on and bring your lunch to work every day. You're on the offensive line at Baylor; you're expected to play, you're expected to contribute, you're expected to do a solid job each and every, and you perform when you're asked to perform."

The world saw who Coach Rhule is during media days but you guys have known the guy for months. What’s it like being coached by Rhule and the rest of the staff?

"It's kind of impressed me how quickly they've really gone out of their way to integrate us and take us into their homes and become a part of their home families, just like they're trying to become a part of our families at the facility, on the field and in the weight room.

"When [Rhule] first got here, he was playing a lot of ping pong and talking really fast. I couldn't understand him that well. It was kind of weird. But a lot more recently, we've sat down, grilled some steaks together and just hung out. We didn't necessarily talk about football, just more about life and whatever popped in our heads. It was really good to talk to the guy. He always makes you feel really good about yourself. I think it's good that he's really getting out, because everyone else is finding that out about him, too."

In addition to being a multiyear starter, you’re also an academic All-Big 12 athlete. Give us your thoughts on the importance of education.

"In my family, it was always about how nobody cared how good you are in sports or anything else. There's no excuse for being dumb. I went to a very academically challenging high school. We were right by NASA. It's always been the expectation of my family to do the best I can with football but essentially set myself up for a very promising future after football. I'm a double major is supply chain management and MIS [management information systems]. I'd like to do some supply chain work. I'm trying to get an internship next summer in Waco. That's just kind of the next step for me."