Austin King and Jeff Roehl didn’t exactly hit it off when they first arrived at Northwestern.

“When Jeff first transferred here, I couldn’t stand him. He was the one person that got on my nerves,” NU center Austin King said. “He bugged the hell out of me in practice my freshman year. Jeff would go up against me as a defender in dummy drills, and instead of going easy like you’re supposed to, he used to play as hard as he could. He tried to make me look bad.”

But much has changed in the past three seasons.

Roehl and King no longer line up on opposite sides of the ball. They play next to each other at right guard and center.

King no longer dislikes Roehl. They’ve become roommates and good friends.

And the two are no longer underclassmen fighting for playing time. They’ve become All-America candidates looking to lead the Wildcats to a fourth Big Ten championship in eight years.

But one thing has not changed. The two still compete with each other, on and off the field.

“We’re lifting partners, and we always push each other,” Roehl said. “We bet meals about who can lift more, we gamble McDonald’s meals over who gets more repetitions, and we have our own athletic competitions.”

These aren’t just recreational contests, but a two-man Olympics encompassing all sports. Roehl has taken an early lead after defeating King in wrestling and bowling.

King claims he had a bad day at the bowling alley, and he admits the 6-foot-4, 299-pound Roehl had an advantage over him on the mat.

“He is up 2-0, but it’s a freak. We haven’t played any sports worth a darn,” King said. “When we play some real sports, he’ll be in trouble and he knows it. There’s a reason we’ve only played two things since we started over a year ago.”

Roehl and King might not ever win a gold in the Olympic triathlon, but the pair has already won its share of accolades. The past two seasons Roehl and King have recieved All-Big Ten honorable mention for their play on the line.

NU coach Randy Walker and the rest of the team has taken notice of the two seniors, and they’re featured on the cover of NU’s spring football prospectus.

“They’re really important to our football team,” NU coach Randy Walker said. “They’ve been arguably our best football players the last two years and have given us more quality play than anybody.”

Neither of the players is exceptionally big for his position, and they rely on their exceptional balance and body control to stay on their blocks. And the two don’t settle for executing an effective block. They want to punish their opponents.

“I like playing to the whistle and through the whistle,” Roehl said. “We thrive on the opponent’s pain. The more pain we can inflict on them, the happier we’ll be.”

Roehl and King take pleasure in dominating defensive linemen, but both believe the ultimate satisfaction is measured in victories.

The interior players hope their blocks can open holes for NU’s running backs and give new quarterback Tony Stauss time to throw.

“The running backs and quarterbacks can’t make plays without us,” King said. “This year there will be new wide recievers and backs who will be in the spotlight and rise to the forefront.”

Roehl and King hope their play and leadership will aid their linemates, as well. The two have combined to start 58 games at NU, and their experience will help the Cats’ three new starters.

Both players said the key is not how they play, but how the whole line plays.

“We are only two guys out of five and we need all five guys to play like the best player on the field,” Roehl said. “It’s hard to separate players, and you’re only as good as your weakest link.”

The two players never criticize each other’s play, but they like to joke around off the field. Roehl doesn’t share King’s love for country music and cowboy apparel – King bought a large cowboy hat and an authentic longhorn during the team’s stay in San Antonio for the 2001 Alamo Bowl.

But King doesn’t seem to have the charm and cunning social skills of his friend. Roehl was given the nickname “Sleeky” because he acted like John “Sleeky” Cerasani, a fellow Notre Dame transfer who graduated from NU in 1999.

King, however, has made his mark with the “Austin King Special,” his unique courting style that has been recognized by all his teammates and friends.

“When it comes to those things, we’re a little different,” King said. “He’s a little more of a ladies’ man.”

Despite their different approaches to women, the two have the same outlook on the 2002 season.

Neither player is concerned with the attention and notoriety they could recieve.

“We’ve put in a lot of time, and it’s good to be recognized,” said Roehl. “But that’s not really for us. That’s for the pretty boys – the running backs and quarterbacks. We just like taking people to the ground.”

Roehl and King hope to drive plenty of people to the turf this season. But the two realize that their success depends entirely on the success of the team. Both professional prospects, Roehl and King are not looking to the future, but are focused on the present.

“I would just like to enjoy my senior season, win some football games and play for a Big Ten championship. The rest of it will take care of itself,” Roehl said. “Hopefully down the road in our career, we will be working together towards the same goal of playing in the NFL. But right now the important thing is this season and winning games.”