Bulaga cherishes strong bond with Marian coaches

Marian Central offensive line coach Steve Spoden has watched nearly 20 of his former players go off to college in recent years.

After Tuesday night's Orange Bowl game in Miami, Spoden and Marian Central might be able to boast sending a player to the NFL.

Bryan Bulaga, a junior offensive tackle at Iowa and one of Spoden's star pupils, told reporters in Miami that he will announce whether he is leaving school for the NFL after the game against Georgia Tech, which will air at 7 p.m. on Fox-TV.

"I wear my emotions on my sleeve," Spoden said. "All of my linemen are special to me. ... But if got to see Bryan's name come up (on TV in the NFL draft), Coach Softie might just shed a tear."

Spoden and Marian offensive coordinator Dirk Stanger have had front-row seats for the 20-year-old Bulaga's development, which included Bulaga being named the Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year this season.

"It's transformed from a coach-player to a more of a coach-friend relationship," Stanger said. "It's been unique and fun to see that transformation."

Spoden and Stanger have served as trusted confidants throughout Bulaga's career. 

"I'm always going to want their opinion," Bulaga said. "They know my game better than anyone."

The three have often called, sent text messages, and exchanged thoughts on football and life, something Bulaga has found invaluable.

"Despite the age difference, I'm always going to consider them friends," Bulaga said before the Hawkeyes left last week for Miami. "They'll be friends of mine for the rest of my life. These are guys who are going to be at my wedding. They'll be involved in every significant moment in my life."

As a high school sophomore, Bulaga joined the varsity and began working with Spoden, who was a three-year starter on the offensive line at Northern Iowa in the 1980s.

"He scared the heck out of me at first," Bulaga said. "He's a big, intimidating guy. But he helped me learn a lot about the game."

Bulaga's learning curve, though, started at a more advanced level than others.

When Marian played Harvard and star running back Dan Haeflinger in a playoff game, Spoden got his first glimpse of Bulaga's abilities.

During that game, with Bulaga playing on defense, Harvard handed the ball off to Haeflinger, who was suddenly stopped by Bulaga for no gain.

"That's when I knew Bryan was going to be special," Spoden said. "I talked to (Harvard coach Tim Haak) and he said Haeflinger had never been stopped for no gain."

Over the next two years, Spoden and Stanger -- who played quarterback at Wisconsin from 1993 to 1997 -- were crucial in helping Bulaga rise to one of the nation's top high school recruits.

"They really pushed me into the weight room," Bulaga said. "I really appreciated that. They'd tell me not to just get by on my athletic ability."

Though Bulaga's athleticism was "freakish," according to Spoden, the Iowa star's work ethic was just as admirable.

"He didn't have to work harder than everybody else, but he did," Spoden said. 

When it came to recruiting, Stanger played a key role.

"He was there for every bit of it," Bulaga said. "When my parents (Joe and Kathi) weren't there, he was."

Stanger insisted he was "more of a sounding board" during the recruiting process for Bulaga, whose maturity at a young age was noticeable.

"At 16, 17 years old, he could tell who was being genuine and who wasn't," Stanger said. 

During Bulaga's time in Iowa, the bond between Bulaga and his former coaches strengthened despite their respective busy schedules.

"They gave me the support and feedback that I needed," Bulaga said. "I can pretty much guarantee that most high school coaches don't have the relationship with their players that they do."

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Orange Bowl

7 p.m. Tuesday on Fox-TV

No. 10 Iowa (10-2) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (11-2)

Key matchup: Marian Central grad Bryan Bulaga, Iowa's junior left offensive tackle, is expected to face off against Tech standout defensive end Derrick Morgan, the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Bulaga and Morgan, two of the nation's top juniors, are both predicted to be first-round picks in the April NFL draft if they choose to leave school early.

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.