Larkin and Kittle provide the core for ODA offensive linemen

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Because they stand just over 6 feet tall and tip the scale at a combined 588 pounds, there was never any question as to where senior Tucker Kittle and sophomore Brooks Larkin would line up when The Out-of-Door Academy took the field this fall.

The two are without a doubt the meatiest players on the Thunder’s roster, towering over the vast majority, if not all, of their teammates. So it’s no surprise ODA coach Brett Timmons pegged the two to be the core of the Thunder’s offensive line.

At 6 feet 2 inches and 268 pounds, Kittle, who plays right guard and has been an integral part of ODA’s offensive line since seventh grade, is the smaller of the two. Larkin, who is the Thunder’s starting center, stands 6 feet 1 inch and tips the scale at 320 pounds.

In their roles as the heftiest of ODA’s starting offensive linemen, Kittle and Larkin have adjusted to a different style of play — using strength rather than speed to their advantage.

“We understand that, being such a small school, that not all of our offensive linemen are going to be (big) enough,” Kittle said. “Being small does have its advantage in terms of speed, which is a disadvantage for us. They’ve got quickness. It’s just a different style of play. We’re more just lean on and crush you.”

Kittle and Larkin admit size isn’t everything. With the additional body weight, not to mention helmets and pads, the two linemen get winded more easily and aren’t able to complete drills and conditioning exercises as quickly as their teammates.

But that hasn’t kept the two from completing the same tasks as the other players. They just tend to do them in their own time.

“We have our own sprint group,” Larkin said. “We keep pace with one another, and coach (Brett Timmons) is OK with that. He doesn’t expect us to keep up.”

“We just end up being together at the back of the pack,” Kittle said. “We have fun and joke around. It’s just nice to have someone like you.”

Kittle and Larkin’s size advantage isn’t limited to the football field. In a school that combines seventh through 12th grades, Kittle and Larkin have a distinct height advantage over nearly everyone else who walks through the halls.

“The seventh-graders now are a lot smaller then we were,” Kittle said. “There’s one kid who weighs 63 pounds and is (about) 3 feet tall.”

“I was your weight in seventh grade,” Larkin joked of Kittle.

“It is weird,” Kittle said.

Nonetheless, Kittle and Larkin knew early on that one day they would be able to use size to their advantage.

Larkin started playing football when he was 6 years old, after his parents signed him up for flag football. Larkin started out at quarterback, but after reaching 120 pounds in second grade, Larkin’s time under center proved to be short-lived.

After playing quarterback and center in the same season, Larkin eventually switched to center.

“It was the weirdest thing,” Larkin said. “I was the biggest kid on the team, but I could outrun everyone else on the team.”

The opposite proved to be the case for Kittle, who didn’t start playing football until he was in seventh grade. By that point, Kittle’s apparent size dictated his position on the field.

“I’ve been a linemen since seventh grade,” Kittle said. “That was basically it. It was something new to try and it sounded fun,” Kittle said. “And here I am today.”

Now with the season half over and ODA carrying a 3-3 record, Kittle and Larkin are focused on enjoying the remainder of their final season together.

The two have their sights set on winning a state championship, but even if they don’t reach that goal, Kittle and Larkin have relished carrying the weight of the team on their shoulders.

“I just enjoy the camaraderie of the team, and having a brotherhood,” Kittle said. “You develop a friendship with the entire team. You know they’ve got your back. Winning is just a bonus.”
Larkin agreed.

“Next year is going to (be hard) because he’s gone,” Larkin said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].