This is the 10th of The Athlete’s Connection’s 30 football previews in 30 days leading up to the season-opening games beginning Thursday, Aug. 28. Today, Athlete’s Connection sportswriter Dave Purpura takes a look at Jersey Village offensive lineman Bobby Janisch.

Position moves aren’t always a player’s idea, but Jersey Village offensive lineman Bobby Janisch pleaded with his coaches to move him from guard to tackle after last season.

“I was at right guard last year (his first year on varsity) and I talked to the coaches about putting me back (at tackle),” the 6-foot-6, 285-pound senior and Rice commit said. “At tackle, there’s a lot more one-on-one and I prefer to go one-on-one against my opponent. I trust myself that I can do it.”

So do Falcons coach David Snokhous and his staff, who have watched and admired Janisch for so long they figure he’s earned the clout to request a position move.

“He has worked his rear end off,” Snokhous said. “He’s gotten himself all the way to 6-6, 300 and there’s not a lot of fat on him. A person of that stature, he knows if we need that one yard, we’re going to get it behind him.”

Janisch is one of only two returning starters on the offensive line for the Falcons, who couldn’t overcame a spate of injuries and departures and went 2-8. The other returning starter is left guard Israel Galicia.

Jersey Village lost seven starters before the end of its first game last year, including its quarterback on the first play of the first game and its running back later. That’s not to mention the loss of two defensive linemen, including Corey Wright, who left the program before the season to move back to Louisiana and played against the Snokhous-coached Texas team in the Bayou Bowl in June.

Janisch, who originally verballed to Texas A&M but like many recruits decommitted after the turbulent tenure of former coach Dennis Franchione, committed to Rice in late June. He plans to major in engineering and design; Snokhous said Janisch carries a 3.6 grade-point average and is ranked in the top quarter of his class.

He was named a Second Team offensive lineman on 5A Texas Football’s preseason team.

“Two things stand out to me about him,” Snokhous said. “First, his knowledge of the game. He’s very smart. We don’t lean on him just because he’s 6-6. He knows how to get down and position himself.

“Second, he’s a very coachable kind. Some guys play in such a way that they get in the team’s way. Not Bobby. He’ll lead the way.”

JERSEY VILLAGE 2008 SCHEDULE
Aug. 30: Deer Park, 7:30 p.m. (at Berry Center)
Sept. 6: Memorial, 6 p.m. (at Pridgeon Stadium)
Sept. 12: at Humble, 7:30 p.m. (at Turner Field)
+Sept. 27: Cypress Falls, 6 p.m. (at Pridgeon Stadium, as visiting team)
+Oct. 4: Cypress Woods, 6 p.m. (at Pridgeon Stadium, as visiting team)
+*Oct. 10: Cypress Springs, 7:30 p.m. (at Pridgeon Stadium, as home team)
+Oct. 17: Langham Creek, 7:30 p.m. (at Berry Center, as visiting team)
+Oct. 25: Cypress Ridge, 6 p.m. (at Pridgeon Stadium, as home team)
+Oct. 31: Cypress Creek, 7:30 p.m. (at Berry Center, as visiting team)
+Nov. 7: Cy-Fair, 7:30 p.m. (at Berry Center, as home team)
+ District 15-5A game
* Homecoming

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