On Sept. 18, 2010, while in the midst of a blowout loss to Wagner, 41-7, all eyes in the offensive huddle were on then-freshman quarterback Jeff Mathews, as the eventual Ivy League Rookie of the Year went under center for the first time as a member of the Red. That Saturday afternoon also marked the first career start for the man snapping the ball to Mathews, junior center Bob Bullington, who remained entrenched in that position for the entirety of the season. While the statistics indicate that Bullington is the leader of Cornell’s offensive line, the 6-3, 267-pound Chicago, Ill. native views himself as merely a cog in this big Red machine.

“I still look up to the two seniors that are on the line — they’re still competing for spots every day,” he said. “I do see that I have more experience than everybody, but I try to see myself and everyone else as equal.”

With three sophomores and a converted tight end joining Bullington on the line, the second-year starter has learned to play the role of mentor when down in the trenches.

“It’s almost our role to … take [the younger guys] under our wing, and show them how things go around here and show them what it’s going to be like come game day,” Bullington said, referring to himself and junior left tackle J.C. Tretter, who played in all 10 games last year at tight end.

“It’s amazing how far a player can come in a year … physically, mentally and emotionally,” said head coach Kent Austin, when asked about Bullington’s progression over the last two seasons. “He’s unselfish, he’s a great team guy and I think he’s the de facto leader for this offensive line.”

Bullington’s hesitation to designate himself the head of the five-man group stems from a core belief that the offensive line is its own “fraternity.”

“The offensive line is kind of like a team within a team,” he said. “The offensive line is just five people working together to accomplish one common goal.”