Zachary and Prescott Line slapped hands. “See you in a month,” 19-year-old Prescott said to Zach. He was going to miss his big brother while he was gone, but the two were used to being apart, as Zach had left home for school three years before Prescott.
Both previously said goodbye to their hometown of Oxford, Mich. to play football for a program better known for its ’80 death penalty than for being a powerhouse. But Zach and Prescott felt fortunate to make the move – they didn’t have much of a choice if they wanted football to remain part of their lives. Aside from one other school, SMU was the only place to offer either Line brother the opportunity to play college football.
Zach, 23, departed Dallas for Florida a few weeks ago to train for the NFL Combine. During his senior season, he was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns. This year, Zach is expected to make it to the NFL draft, where he could potentially be a third-round choice, according to Sports Illustrated.
While Prescott joined his brother and the SMU community as a freshman last fall, he was redshirted to maximize his college playing time. This upcoming season will mark the official start of his SMU football career.
Oh, and here’s the kicker – young Prescott has already beat some of Zach’s high school records.
So how could colleges have overlooked these athletes?
“Because you can’t measure heart for the game,” SMU football coach Wes Suan said.
Suan is a position coach who’s worked one-on-one with both players. He says he is “amazed” by how close in character the two are, and claims they have the same personality traits, all of which he consider positive.
Suan describes Zach and Prescott as “passionate and motivated,” with a remarkable work ethic and attention to detail.
“We just love those guys because of their commitment to the game and their character skills,” Suan said. He supposes these traits “just weren’t recognized” by other Division-I schools.
In turn, these qualities are what he believes have allowed Zach to perform at such a high level, and will enable Prescott to do the same.
As both players have proven, these variables are indefinable. With Zach averaging 108 yards per game, other schools’ losses have been SMU’s gain. Though the program will experience a loss of its own when he graduates, Prescott is ready to step up.
So how does Zach feel about little bro filling his cleats?
While Zach admitted that he and his brother can be competitive in games like chess, he made clear that, “As far as football goes, we’re for each other, not against each other. When it comes to the things that matter, such as our relationship, we’re not going to do anything to harm that.”
The boys’ father, Joe Line, reiterated this point: “For things that aren’t of real consequence, like a thumb war, they’re as silly as can be,” Joe said and chuckled. “But when it comes to real stuff, like football, the boys are massively respectful of one another.” All in all, Joe described the sibling rivalry between his sons as nothing more than “good, clean, competitive, wrestling, fun.”
Zach said he focuses on competing with himself, not his brother. At the same time, he’s always ready to help his brother, and claims Prescott helps him in return. Zach’s attitude towards the situation is perfectly in line with how his coach described him. “If he beats my record, he beats my record,” Zach said. “I had my time, and I do my thing.”
Zach concluded that he and Prescott “share a mutual respect for each other, knowing how hard it is to go down this road.”
The feeling is mutual indeed, as Prescott considers Zach his role model, and would be honored to follow his path.
“If a job needs to be done, he will be the guy to get it done for you,” Prescott said of his brother. “He’s a big-time team player, and a big-time team leader,” he said. “I’ll always be there to support him.”
Looking towards the future, Suan has high hopes for the brothers and is excited to watch what’s in store for them – and perhaps another Line down the line? Prescott isn’t the youngest, after all…will 17-year-old running back Ben Line be next? Stay tuned.
