Otis Hudson first became interested in playing football when he was in the eighth grade. Hudson’s friend, Chris Campbell, suggested he try out for their local high school team in Barrington. But there was only one problem.

Hudson knew that he would need to receive permission from his mother to play for the Barrington high school football team.

Hudson’s mother was initially resistant to the idea of her son playing football, but as time passed she began to change her mind and soon Hudson joined Campbell on the football field.

After the conclusion of high school, Hudson was accepted to the University of Minnesota, where he began his collegiate career in 2005. Hudson red-shirted his first year as a Gopher and was then converted to defensive tackle, where he only played four games before being moved to offensive lineman.

After two seasons in the Gopher program, Hudson then decided to get in touch with Campbell again.

Hudson, the Eastern starting offensive right tackle, said the conversations that followed with Campbell helped him decide that Eastern would be the best place to finish his college career.

“Chris Campbell has been my buddy ever since eighth grade,” Hudson said. “We played Pop Warner football together, so after we talked a few times I thought that there would be no better way to end my college career than to come to Eastern.”

Since arriving at Eastern, Hudson has focused his time on converting from right guard to right tackle, a task that Hudson said required attention to detail.

“The biggest challenge for me was to get myself to work quicker in my pass stance,” Hudson said. “The offensive tackle position is a lot different than the guard position, so early on things felt kind of weird to me.”

Hudson, a senior, said his previous experience of changing football positions helped with the process of learning the right tackle position.

“I played defense in high school and I understand run and pass blocking schemes, so it wasn’t a huge difference,” Hudson said.

Hudson said one of the main differences between the guard and tackle position is the size and physicality of the opponents he must face.

“Offensive guard is a more physical position, while offensive tackle is more about finesse,” Hudson said. “There certainly is a difference between blocking a 280-lb. guy compared to blocking a 320-lb. guy.”

Neil Schneider can be reached at 581-7944 or jnschneider@eiu.edu.

After transferring from the University of Minnesota, Otis Hudson found a home on the Panthers offensive line. (Rob Warren/The Daily Eastern News)

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