THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, January 25, 2015

When Loren Endsley came to Lake City High in the fall of 2005, he described himself as "kind of dough-y."

He loved sports, football in particular. But eventually going to college wasn't in the plans.

Then along came Van Troxel.

The longtime Lake City football coach saw Endsley's passion for football. He just needed a little more motivation - on the field and in the classroom.

Fast-forward Endsley nearly 10 years later - from 5-foot-6 and 180 pounds to 6-2 and 280.

Endsley recently completed a stellar career as a four-year starter on the offensive line at Eastern Oregon University, an NAIA school in La Grande, Ore.

His collegiate career was capped by an appearance in the 21st USA College Football Bowl, an all-star game for seniors played Monday in Jackson, Miss., which included players from as big as Division I schools to as small as NAIA.

While there, Endsley received an academic/citizenship award. He earned his degree in history from Eastern Oregon last spring, and expects to complete his masters in teaching this summer.

Pretty good for a kid who, early in high school, was getting grades just good enough to keep him eligible.

"I was an overweight, slow, unathletic kid," Endsley said of his freshman year in high school. "And Troxel inspired me to work as hard as I could, and pretty much told me I could have whatever I wanted if I worked for it.

"Troxel's amazing; he's really the reason I am where I am right now."

ENDSLEY SAID he was on the freshman "B" team - the second of two freshman teams - his first year at Lake City.

"He was just one of those guys that was enthusiastic about the sport," Troxel recalled.

"He's such an example of what hard work, determination, smarts, good kid, and if you put a mind to it, what you can accomplish," Troxel added. "As a freshman and sophomore he wasn't the banner player in the class; he was just one of the guys. And to see him continue to drive and work ... "

As a sophomore, Endsley played on the junior varsity team, but suited up for the varsity in the postseason, and was on the sidelines at the Kibbie Dome when Lake City finished a 12-0 season with a state 5A title in 2006.

"It was awesome; I saw how hard that group worked," Endsley said. "Carson York (a senior lineman on that team who went on to play at Oregon) was a huge inspiration for me."

By then, Endsley had bought into Troxel's weight program at Lake City. But there was still one more step to take.

As a junior, Troxel told Endsley he was good enough to play football in college. But his grades had to improve.

"I didn't have the best grades until then," Endsley said. "And then he told me, 'You can play college football if you keep working.' So it completely changed my grades. I went from having a low 2-point grade point average to a mid 3-point."

If he hadn't dedicated himself in the classroom?

"I wouldn't be the person I am today," Endsley said.

ENDSLEY STARTED on the offensive line his last two years at Lake City, earning all-league honors as a senior, helping the Timberwolves make the playoffs in both seasons.

He walked on at Idaho State with a dream of Division I football. He redshirted his first season, then was injured during spring ball and missed his entire second season in Pocatello.

"When I graduated high school I weighed 215 pounds, so even the chance to get to a Division 1 school was a big deal," Endsley said. "I was playing really well there, getting first-team reps, second-team reps during spring ball. Then I tore the labrum in my shoulder. The surgery kept me out six months and that was a huge setback for me."

He received a medical redshirt so he wouldn't lose a year of eligibility, since he had already used his redshirt year.

But after that season, ISU coach John Zamberlin and his staff were fired. Endsley said he could have stuck around and tried his luck with a new coaching staff.

"But when they fired the whole coaching staff, I felt it was time for me to move on," he said. "I saw an opportunity to drop down to NAIA and be a four-year starter."

He looked at Central Washington and perennial NAIA power Carroll, but liked the Eastern Oregon coaches and thought it was the best fit.

With the Mountaineers, he started his first season at guard before moving to tackle. He ended up starting at least one game at each of the five lineman positions during his time there - including one start at center his senior season.

Eastern Oregon never made it to the NAIA playoffs during his time there, but came close twice after a pair of 8-3 seasons. His freshman year, the Mountaineers upset top-ranked Carroll. This past season, in the final game, Eastern Oregon won at Southern Oregon, "and we thought we were going to the playoffs for sure," Endsley said.

But Southern Oregon was selected instead, along with Carroll, and eventually went on to win the national championship.

THERE HAS been interest in Endsley from pro football teams in Europe, as well as indoor football teams in the U.S., he said. But he says he's done with football, "ready to move forward on the next chapter in my life."

He hopes to return to this area to teach, and coach.

"I want to give back," he said. "I had some really influential teachers that made me want to become a teacher so much more."

Besides Troxel, Endsley acknowledged some other key influences in his life, including his father, Shaun Endsley, who ran track at Eastern Washington and now competes in Ironmans, and his mother, Lori Tobin.

Troxel is understandably proud as he talks about where Endsley was as a high school freshman, and what he has become as a 23-year-old.

"Like I told him, whatever direction you go, you're going to be very successful," Troxel said. "He's got those ingredients - he's willing to work, and he's smart, and he's going to do the right things to make himself better.

"It's not really the stars that we do all this for - it's the guys that are good guys, hard workers, trying to make their lives better. He just makes you feel so darn good, because he's made a success of himself, and his family and his parents are as proud as can be, and that's what's neat."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.