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CORVALLIS — First-year Oregon State football coach JaMarcus Shephard stepped on campus and provided senior offensive lineman Tyler Voltin with a challenge: lose weight.
And that's what Voltin did. The Regis High School class of 2021 graduate was fresh off shoulder surgery in December when he got the instructions from his new head coach.
“(Shephard) called me and said, ‘I need you to lose this much before you come back,’” Voltin said. “Shephard sat me down, I could tell he meant it and that he was going to be with me all the way through. That was the biggest motivation ever."
Voltin lost over 30 pounds from January to the start of fall camp in August. The transformation told Shephard everything he needed to know about Voltin.
"I watched the tape on him before I came and interviewed for the job. He stood out as a large human being," Shephard said. “At the time, he was a depiction of what the offensive line needed to be. They needed to trim up a little bit and get into better shape and we’ve pushed the envelope to do that."
Through the weight-loss journey, Voltin showed Shephard and the Oregon State coaching staff his dedication to the team on an individual level, as a leader and as someone who executes given tasks. Voltin is also one of the most home-grown athletes on the Beavers' roster, coming from Stayton, just 36 miles up the road. It's these traits that have catapulted him into a leadership role within Oregon State's offensive line.
Even while injured and on a journey of his own.
“He was going through the walk-throughs, he was the one communicating with everyone and everyone was taking their cues from him," Shephard said. "It didn’t surprise me … but Tyler Voltin is one of those kids for me that you better not say nothing bad about him. I love the kid."
Over the summer, Voltin gave back to high schools in and around his hometown.
Whether it was Regis, Stayton or Sprague, Voltin spent time engaging with area football teams. He mentored as they discussed on-field technique, the life of a college football athlete and everything in between.
Sprague coach AJ Robinson said Voltin's presence made an impact with his players during drills and lifting.
“I think they appreciated the chance to talk to a guy that’s playing at the level that those guys want to play at," Robinson said. "We have multiple linemen who are going to have the opportunity to play at the college level and so being able to pick his brain, ask about his experience playing at the college level and what that’s like is really invaluable."
Voltin attended the training day at Sprague High School in late June and said he got just as much out of it as the high schoolers.
“They wanted to learn. If anything it was me wanting to talk more about the sport, learn more about the sport, them wanting to learn," Voltin said. “They had a lot of good stuff. They were locked in ... it was awesome."
For Sprague, an experienced offensive line with high expectations for the fall asked questions of one of the top collegiate offensive linemen around.
For Voltin, he exercised his leadership and vocal skills while giving back to the community.
For Shephard, he found more evidence that Voltin can lead the team.
Shephard even saw this mentoring in action. Earlier in the summer, Shephard was at a 7-on-7 tournament with his son, who plans to play high school football in the Willamette Valley. He witnessed Voltin mentoring young O-linemen and sharing stories and wisdom that only someone with four years of Division I football experience could.
“It let me know right away that this guy is going to lead this offensive line. But that’s what he’s been doing, even while hurt," Shephard said. “One thing he’s shown is that he can be a people mover ... I don’t know exactly what his leadership roles were in the past, but we’re leaning heavy into him and expecting that he’s going to do the right thing for this football team."
While mentoring the energized youth, Voltin called on his own life experiences to share.
He preached flexibility and coachability to the kids. As someone who underwent multiple coaching changes in high school and now three at Oregon State, Voltin understands the value in those qualities in addition to adaptability.
“I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of football when I first got into college … I was just a big guy who was trying to block people," Voltin said. "But it’s a lot more technical. O-line is a very technical position, so you have to do the little things right. Showing up on time, being attentive in meetings, being attentive in practice and working hard. Stuff like that’s going to take you a long ways, even outside the sport."
Voltin has applied those rules to himself under the new regime in Corvallis.
One of drivers behind Voltin's motivation this offseason is the energy Shephard and OSU's new coaching staff carry into team settings.
"Everyone’s a lot more positive and we’re connected in a way I don’t think we’ve been connected in a while," Voltin said. “And I think that’s huge for us. You can’t win this game by yourself, you have to win together with your team. I think that’s the biggest thing we’ve changed in the offseason."
Shephard has implemented vitality across campus in Corvallis, and one of the ways he's doing it is with transparency and communication.
About two weeks before the Oregon State season begins Sept. 5 against Houston, Shephard and his coaches will host one-on-one conversations with every player on the team to discuss their role, expectations and the season ahead.
“Any time you get a sit down with your head coach and have a meaningful conversation about football and where you’re at, it’s a great thing. It teaches you so much. You can learn so much from it, you can only improve from it," Voltin said. “We all want (Shephard) to challenge us, we all want him to push ourselves to be the best players we can be; the best team we can be, collectively. I think (Shephard) bringing his energy and his consistent fire for the game every day has been huge."
In addition to the on-field and leadership responsibilities, one unique thing Voltin brings to the table that Shephard wants to extract is him being one of the team's most local players.
The value of being a leader on the team while being an Oregon native is important, Shephard said. The coach recalled his own playing days at DePauw University in Indiana and spending time with teammates who hailed from the area — the memories those days produced and the impact it had on the team.
“We want to build as much as we can from inside the state," Shephard said. “We’re pushing the envelope to make that a priority for us. We’re not going to win every one of those battles, but we’re going to win some of them. Those individuals are the ones who when Fourth of July comes up, the guys are going back to their place and hanging out with them and their families.
“Those relationships are what bond (the team together). When you’re local, you have an opportunity to have an even bigger impact on your teammates."
Voltin has played 20 games and over 500 snaps across four years at Oregon State. He's always been one of the most local members of the team, and his work ethic has never come into question.
Now, for his fifth and final year, Voltin has assumed greater responsibilities and a leadership role with his head held high as the Beavers enter a new era of Pac-12 football.
“The support and the amount of accountability that (Shephard) put on me was awesome," Voltin said. "Some guys react differently to that and some think whatever. But I think the biggest thing for me, too, was that this is my last year. I have to make something shake."
Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State and high school sports for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Former Regis standout finds leadership role with Oregon State football
Continue reading...
And that's what Voltin did. The Regis High School class of 2021 graduate was fresh off shoulder surgery in December when he got the instructions from his new head coach.
“(Shephard) called me and said, ‘I need you to lose this much before you come back,’” Voltin said. “Shephard sat me down, I could tell he meant it and that he was going to be with me all the way through. That was the biggest motivation ever."
Voltin lost over 30 pounds from January to the start of fall camp in August. The transformation told Shephard everything he needed to know about Voltin.
"I watched the tape on him before I came and interviewed for the job. He stood out as a large human being," Shephard said. “At the time, he was a depiction of what the offensive line needed to be. They needed to trim up a little bit and get into better shape and we’ve pushed the envelope to do that."
Through the weight-loss journey, Voltin showed Shephard and the Oregon State coaching staff his dedication to the team on an individual level, as a leader and as someone who executes given tasks. Voltin is also one of the most home-grown athletes on the Beavers' roster, coming from Stayton, just 36 miles up the road. It's these traits that have catapulted him into a leadership role within Oregon State's offensive line.
Even while injured and on a journey of his own.
“He was going through the walk-throughs, he was the one communicating with everyone and everyone was taking their cues from him," Shephard said. "It didn’t surprise me … but Tyler Voltin is one of those kids for me that you better not say nothing bad about him. I love the kid."
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Becoming a leader
Over the summer, Voltin gave back to high schools in and around his hometown.
Whether it was Regis, Stayton or Sprague, Voltin spent time engaging with area football teams. He mentored as they discussed on-field technique, the life of a college football athlete and everything in between.
Sprague coach AJ Robinson said Voltin's presence made an impact with his players during drills and lifting.
“I think they appreciated the chance to talk to a guy that’s playing at the level that those guys want to play at," Robinson said. "We have multiple linemen who are going to have the opportunity to play at the college level and so being able to pick his brain, ask about his experience playing at the college level and what that’s like is really invaluable."
Voltin attended the training day at Sprague High School in late June and said he got just as much out of it as the high schoolers.
“They wanted to learn. If anything it was me wanting to talk more about the sport, learn more about the sport, them wanting to learn," Voltin said. “They had a lot of good stuff. They were locked in ... it was awesome."
For Sprague, an experienced offensive line with high expectations for the fall asked questions of one of the top collegiate offensive linemen around.
For Voltin, he exercised his leadership and vocal skills while giving back to the community.
For Shephard, he found more evidence that Voltin can lead the team.
Shephard even saw this mentoring in action. Earlier in the summer, Shephard was at a 7-on-7 tournament with his son, who plans to play high school football in the Willamette Valley. He witnessed Voltin mentoring young O-linemen and sharing stories and wisdom that only someone with four years of Division I football experience could.
“It let me know right away that this guy is going to lead this offensive line. But that’s what he’s been doing, even while hurt," Shephard said. “One thing he’s shown is that he can be a people mover ... I don’t know exactly what his leadership roles were in the past, but we’re leaning heavy into him and expecting that he’s going to do the right thing for this football team."
You must be registered for see images attach
While mentoring the energized youth, Voltin called on his own life experiences to share.
He preached flexibility and coachability to the kids. As someone who underwent multiple coaching changes in high school and now three at Oregon State, Voltin understands the value in those qualities in addition to adaptability.
“I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of football when I first got into college … I was just a big guy who was trying to block people," Voltin said. "But it’s a lot more technical. O-line is a very technical position, so you have to do the little things right. Showing up on time, being attentive in meetings, being attentive in practice and working hard. Stuff like that’s going to take you a long ways, even outside the sport."
Voltin has applied those rules to himself under the new regime in Corvallis.
You must be registered for see images attach
Carving out a role with a new team, new coaching staff
One of drivers behind Voltin's motivation this offseason is the energy Shephard and OSU's new coaching staff carry into team settings.
"Everyone’s a lot more positive and we’re connected in a way I don’t think we’ve been connected in a while," Voltin said. “And I think that’s huge for us. You can’t win this game by yourself, you have to win together with your team. I think that’s the biggest thing we’ve changed in the offseason."
Shephard has implemented vitality across campus in Corvallis, and one of the ways he's doing it is with transparency and communication.
About two weeks before the Oregon State season begins Sept. 5 against Houston, Shephard and his coaches will host one-on-one conversations with every player on the team to discuss their role, expectations and the season ahead.
“Any time you get a sit down with your head coach and have a meaningful conversation about football and where you’re at, it’s a great thing. It teaches you so much. You can learn so much from it, you can only improve from it," Voltin said. “We all want (Shephard) to challenge us, we all want him to push ourselves to be the best players we can be; the best team we can be, collectively. I think (Shephard) bringing his energy and his consistent fire for the game every day has been huge."
In addition to the on-field and leadership responsibilities, one unique thing Voltin brings to the table that Shephard wants to extract is him being one of the team's most local players.
The value of being a leader on the team while being an Oregon native is important, Shephard said. The coach recalled his own playing days at DePauw University in Indiana and spending time with teammates who hailed from the area — the memories those days produced and the impact it had on the team.
“We want to build as much as we can from inside the state," Shephard said. “We’re pushing the envelope to make that a priority for us. We’re not going to win every one of those battles, but we’re going to win some of them. Those individuals are the ones who when Fourth of July comes up, the guys are going back to their place and hanging out with them and their families.
“Those relationships are what bond (the team together). When you’re local, you have an opportunity to have an even bigger impact on your teammates."
You must be registered for see images attach
Voltin has played 20 games and over 500 snaps across four years at Oregon State. He's always been one of the most local members of the team, and his work ethic has never come into question.
Now, for his fifth and final year, Voltin has assumed greater responsibilities and a leadership role with his head held high as the Beavers enter a new era of Pac-12 football.
“The support and the amount of accountability that (Shephard) put on me was awesome," Voltin said. "Some guys react differently to that and some think whatever. But I think the biggest thing for me, too, was that this is my last year. I have to make something shake."
Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State and high school sports for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Former Regis standout finds leadership role with Oregon State football
Continue reading...
