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College Park — Brian Plummer got a late start to his football career.
It's a topic that often comes up when he talks about his speedy development as a player.
"My parents didn't want me to play, and I wasn't that interested," Plummer said. "But the little league coaches always told me to try out."
He's come a long way since finally starting to play the sport during his freshman year at South Carroll High School. The redshirt freshman is a back-up right tackle on the University of Maryland football team to junior Damian Prince.
Plummer's parents and coaches at South Carroll hope to see him in a Big Ten game on TV this fall.
It could happen.
"My goal is to play this year and get on the field," Plummer said. "It has crossed my mind and it would be awesome. All the hard work would be worth it."
Maryland football coach DJ Durkin loves the growth he's seen from Plummer since he came to College Park about a year ago.
"He is very thorough in what he does," Durkin said. "In weightlifting, diet and in the meetings. And you can tell it's carried over onto the field for him. He's got a bright future here."
Terps center Brendan Moore agrees.
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"I can't wait to see what he is going to be later on in his career," Moore said. "He is going to be great. He has a talent in its own — film study. He really tries to implement exactly what (offensive line coach Tyler) Bowen tells him to do the next day. He is very coachable."
Plummer has learned to appreciate the knowledge Bowen, a former Maryland player, brings to the job. Bowen has also worked as the offensive coordinator at Fordham and the tight ends coach at Towson University.
Plummer said he quizzes Bowen for ways to improve on and off the field. They've focused a lot on Plummer's run and pass blocking.
"Coach Bowen has really helped me out," Plummer said. "He really has pushed me and he hasn't stopped coaching me. If I mess up, he will be on me. Being a younger guy, I do need help in certain situations."
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The 6-foot-6 Plummer said the Maryland coaches got on him when he ballooned up to about 340 pounds following his senior year at South Carroll, where he started for three years at left tackle and also played basketball, baseball and participated in track.
He had to hit the weights hard and change his diet, he said, to get down his normal playing weight of around 310 pounds. Plummer said he cut out desserts, ate less foods with carbohydrates and more with proteins.
“I came in for my official visit (February, 2016),” said Plummer, noting he also focused sharply on weight training and his diet during his redshirt season. “And I gained like 30 pounds since the end of the season. The coaches looked at me and realized I wasn’t the guy they recruited. I got down to 305 before I reported.”
If Plummer needs a workout partner or someone to lean on for advice, he can turn to sophomore linebacker Steven Baca, a fellow 2016 South Carroll graduate and the Times Player of the Year in 2015.
They’re roommates and best friends, Plummer said.
“It’s like two guys from Carroll County trying to make a name for themselves,” Plummer said. “It’s definitely fun having him here and going through and experiencing all of this with him. It makes it easier, and knowing there is a guy where I am from gives me motivation.”
South Carroll football coach Steve Luette said Plummer made the right choice to pick Maryland. Clemson and West Virginia also recruited Plummer, and he made unofficial visits to both schools.
“He only played football four years,” Luette said. “As good as he had gotten every year that he played for me, when you go to a place like Maryland, they are going to redshirt him. They got a whole year to work with him and put him in the weight room.
"He gets a chance to see their systems and gets used to what is going on. He just winds up so much better."
tworgo@baltsun.com
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