Jose Landrom grateful to be on the offensive at Gov. Mifflin

In his mind, Jose Landrom is a defensive player. He likes hitting people. No, make that, he loves hitting people.

“Sometimes we have to tone him down in practice,” said Gov. Mifflin coach Jeff Lang. “We’re worried about other kids getting hurt.”

After graduating a pair of offensive linemen from last year’s District 3 championship team Lang needed to find someone to plug in up front. He slid Nate Goodman from tight end to tackle and thought Landrom would be the perfect fit for guard. The 6-foot, 250-pound senior wasn’t so sure.

“I’ve always been more of the aggressive person,” said Landrom. “I just love hitting people, making plays on defense.”

The move to guard has worked out pretty well. The Mustangs are unbeaten and preparing to face Exeter in the District 3 Class 5A championship game Friday at Mifflin Stadium at 7. Mifflin has the No. 1 offense in Berks. It’s averaging nearly 400 rushing yards and nearly 50 points.

“We had to show him the finer points of being an offensive lineman,” said Lang, the Mustangs former O-line coach, “and how much you can still hit people hard, especially as a pulling guard. You can have the same fun you can have on defense. He’s bought in.”

Earlier this month Landrom earned all-league honors — as a guard. He couldn’t believe it. He’s part of the rotation at defensive tackle for the Mustangs and figured that’s where he would be noticed. When the Berks Football League Section 1 team was announced Landrom was moved.

“I almost teared up, honestly,” he said. “Going through everything I did. . . getting that achievement as something I find secondary is insane to me. All my work just really paid off a tremendous amount and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

It wasn’t certain Landrom would be on the field, at any position, this season. He had a serious knee injury midway through his junior season and wasn’t cleared to play until late in the summer. He might not have been 100 percent when the season kicked off but he was determined to show people the injury wouldn’t hold him back.

“I really had a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “There were doubts I was going to be back fully to where I was before. I feel I really did better than those (expectations) that were given to me.”

“He just started playing his best football the last three, four weeks,” Lang said. “It took a good bit of the season for him to get (to this point). When a kid has a serious knee injury they do not (always) come back and play lights-out; there’s always a learning curve. A little bit of a fear thing, too. He’s overcome that.”

Landrom found out early in the season how much fun offensive line play can be, especially when you’re blocking for Nick Singleton, Berks’ all-time rushing and scoring leader. Landrom hasn’t seen all of his 42 touchdowns live; often he’s engaged with a defensive player or on the ground when Singleton makes his move to the end zone. Sometimes he has to catch up during film study to watch all of Singleton’s finishing moves.

“It’s crazy to be a part of,” he said. “I’ll make the block, then from the corner of my eye see him run someone over. It’s something special to be part of. He’ll stiff-arm somebody and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ It’s really awesome being able to have that person on your team.”

Landrom appreciates the spot he’s in right now, playing for the top-ranked team in the state and surrounded by a supporting cast that includes Berks Defensive Back of the Year Eden Johnson, Goodman, the Berks Defensive Lineman of the Year, and All-Berks picks tackle Jonah Naugle and linebacker Trey Rock.

“It’s really humbling, and something really great to be a part of,” he said. “We’re doing stuff that Mifflin has never really done before. Last year’s team was a great group of guys. This year, we’re that team. . . we have what it takes to take it all way, and everybody knows that. We’re a special group of guys.”

The Mustangs reached the PIAA semifinals last season before being turned back by Pine-Richland 48-44. That loss motivated them throughout the offseason to take it one step further.

“We feel like we’re on top of the world,” Landrom said, “but we still have that one goal in mind and we have to finish business that wasn’t finished last year.”