Unsung Heroes: Ethan Blevins and others don't play for stats

Every week, you go through the sports pages and you see stats. Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers. It’s mostly the same kids over and over. But behind those guys, or more accurately, in front of those guys, are the kids that are unsung heroes of their team. The big boys that have the thankless job of blocking. There aren’t many stats for those guys. They don’t play for their name in the paper.

Ronan’s Ethan Blevins is one of those guys. The 6’2”, 218-pound senior is an offensive lineman and defensive end for the Chiefs. He’s the only returning senior starter for the team.

Coach Jim Benn said Blevins is an important part of their group. “He’s a quiet kid, but he’s a leader because he does things the right way,” he said, “He works as hard as any kid I’ve ever had in the program.”

While Benn had lots to say about his senior left tackle, Blevins himself isn’t much of an interview guy. His straightforward, direct answers back up what Benn said about him being quiet.

With a relatively young offensive line, Blevins said there has been a lot of building. “You just have to be patient and encourage your teammates,” he said. As the only returning senior starter on the line, some might think Blevins would have a lot to say to the less experienced kids. However, that’s not the case with Blevins. “I just try to lead by example,” he said.

Even without stats, the big guys still know if they had a good game. “You know when you pick up a good block or you help your team score, just by doing your job,” he said. While Blevins might not get voted MVP as an offensive linesman, Coach Benn knows how important he is. “The last two years we’ve thrown the ball more than we have in the previous six or seven. Having a kid like Ethan is huge because a lot of time he’s matched up one on one with a kid on the edge, and without that we don’t do what we did last year, and we would be struggling more this year.”

Blevins likes the weight room. According to Benn, Blevins has put in a lot of work the last few years. In other words, he wasn’t always 218 pounds of muscle. “He was kind of roly-poly as a freshman,” Benn said.

Today, the Ronan native who has grown up on a ranch, said the weight room is a peaceful place for him. “I really enjoy the weight room. You can work on yourself, make yourself better.”

Blevins also plays basketball and tennis. You might not think of an offensive lineman as a nimble tennis player, but Blevins said he’s been playing for around six years, and that it’s good for being quick on his feet. Blevins and his doubles partner did very well last year, and competed at the state tournament. 

The young Ronan football team has an uphill battle this year, but next time you take in a Ronan game, find number 51 on the field and appreciate what he, and big guys on every squad, do to contribute to their team.