FAYETTEVILLE -- The biggest question for the Arkansas Razorbacks' offensive line in 2016 has become the unit's first answer in 2018.
New Arkansas head football coach Chad Morris declared left guard Hjalte Froholdt the leader of the line only two practices into spring drills. Morris said Froholdt was a leader for the entire team and a top player he has seen on the teams he has coached.
"Froholdt on the offensive line is just a phenomenal leader," Morris said after practice on March 3. "He might be one of the top leaders I've ever been a part of as far as a team."
Froholdt was a football prodigy in Denmark after seriously taking up American football as a high school exchange student in Ohio. He was signed by former coach Bret Bielema as a defensive lineman out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
The 6-5, 315-pound great Dane is a far cry from where he was two years ago as a strong and fast, but bewildered, 295-pound newcomer to the offensive side. He lettered as a true freshman reserve in 2015 on the defensive line.
Bielema was short on offensive linemen in the spring of 2016 and believed Froholdt was gifted enough to move to first-team left guard. Froholdt recalls veteran linemen Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper flanking him at center and tackle, respectively, literally pointing out his directions in practices and games. He struggled to learn the nuances of the position while being matched up against the best defensive linemen in the country in the Southeastern Conference.
Froholdt earned individual accolades last season, even on a 4-8 team. Now, he leads the line that once led him.
"It's crazy how fast time has gone by the last two years," Froholdt said. "It's been a rough transition. I'm not going to say it's been smooth at all. I've made my share of mistakes and things I need to deal with my sophomore season and junior season, but it's progress."
Progress indeed.
After starting every game and playing every snap in eight of them, while not allowing a sack, Froholdt closed 2017 named to the All-SEC First Team by Pro Football Focus, All-SEC Third Team by the Phil Steele publication, SEC All-Academic for the second time and College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District as a Kinesiology major. He is scheduled to graduate in December.
Although learning much from his professors, nobody likely imparted to Froholdt more knowledge carrying over to today than Ragnow and Skipper.
"Frank and Skip a couple of years ago helped me, and just seeing how they led the offensive line and the offense as a whole, that really helped me," Froholdt said. "I've kind of nitpicked things I've liked from each of them, and I've kind of made my own way of leading, I guess you could say."
Like Ragnow and Skipper, Froholdt has always looked on the lean, mean side as an offensive lineman other than when he said he briefly over-bulked upon moving from the defensive line to offensive guard.
"I came over at 295," Froholdt said. "I got up to where I was hitting 325 or 330, but it was unhealthy weight. I started getting some lower back injuries, not being used to having that much weight on my body. But first with Coach Herb (former strength coach Ben Herbert) and then with Coach Tru (new strength coach Trumain Carroll) and his staff, they preach training, and they preach nutrition.
"I've really taken into account that you can train all you want, but you can be absolutely miserable if you go home and don't eat right. It's not going to accumulate well. So, I've really taken nutrition into account. I'm 305 to 315 depending on what I've eaten that day. I fluctuate a lot, but anything within that 10 pound margin I feel is a good weight for me."
Froholdt said he and the line have set goals to peak physically and mentally, the keys to the myriad of other goals he knows others set for them.
"Of course, on game day, there are about 72,000 coaches in the stands, and they all have their own opinion in how we should play and how we should be coached," Froholdt said. "I want us all to play to the best of our ability. I want us all to step up to the challenge that social media and the fan base has set for us."
Sports on 07/09/2018