In this Beyond the Pads interview, host Max Starks talks with Oregon offensive guard Shane Lemieux about his evolution from a high‑school player who wanted to score touchdowns to embracing the offensive line. Lemieux explains how coaches steered him toward the trenches, how he learned to love the position by using his strength, quickness, and agility to dominate defensive linemen, and why he takes pride in isolation blocks. He reflects on his biggest challenges at Oregon—specifically improving his stance intent and owning angles on the backside in zone blocking—and identifies his primary assets: high motor, physicality, and elite one‑on‑one base‑drive blocking. Lemieux describes why he chose to train at Offensive Line Performance (OLP) in Arizona, calling it the "offensive line mecca" and citing the influence of LeCharles Bentley’s teachings. He shares the most surprising, mind‑blowing lesson he learned at OLP: the detailed mechanics of stance setup, pressure distribution, and body awareness that go beyond raw strength. The interview closes with Lemieux summarizing his identity in one word—"gritty"—and expressing enthusiasm for future growth.
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Hi, my name is Max Starks and we are here at Beyond the Pads. I'm joined by offensive guard from University of Oregon, Shane Lemieux. Why be an offensive lineman? Why, why want to play offensive line at the next level? Why get into that?
Yeah, you know, growing up, I always, I was always wanting to score touchdowns and stuff. So I'd try to be tight end, running back, linebacker, anything that didn't involve, you know, the trenches. I didn't like any of that kind of stuff. And I kind of developed into an offensive lineman. I got kind of steered that way by high school coaches that really, you know, knew my best interests and knew where my best capabilities were at the next level, and that's in the offensive line. So I was this tall, skinny kid, man, and I packed weight on and I struggled, man. I did not like the trenches, man. I did not like— I didn't like not being, you know, kind of the guy scoring touchdowns, the big name guy. But, you know, I grew to love it, man. And once I learned how to use my body and how to use my strength, my quickness, my agility, and all that kind of stuff, really just wearing down a defensive lineman, that's where I kind of learned to love this position. And there's, you know, nothing like it in the game of football than, you know, demoralizing another defensive lineman, man. I think that's kind of why I play this position. And, you know, it's a grown man's game, man. And I really take pride in being the guy to lean on to with isolation blocks, you know, man blocks, and really just getting it done when your number's called.
So, I mean, obviously University of Oregon, a lot of success playing at Oregon and a very distinct style that you guys played. I mean, you guys were a very good run team, whether it's RPOs, different varied systems that you could employ within a game itself. But what do you feel like when you look back, when you self-scout yourself, what do you think has been one of your biggest kind of challenges, and what do you feel is going to be a challenge moving up to the next level?
Yeah, I think it, I think it all starts with stuff that we've kind of been learning here at Offensive Line Performance these first few weeks, and it's really just being more, having more intent with your stance and being more intentional with your stance. And the second thing is owning angles. So you want to own your angle on the backside. I saw a lot of my tape from the last several years, I'm not able to own the angle on the backside outside zone. I'm not able to get, you know, the hat placement that coach has kind of been wanting. I'm more focusing more on the intent and the angle that's going to put me on the best spot to make that block. I mean, it's, it's, there's a lot of intricate, you know, stuff to it, but I think those two are kind of broad things that I feel like could help my game.
And what do you feel is your biggest asset that you bring to the position and what you think will be definitely a great asset at the next level?
I think my physicality. I mean, I feel like I'm a, I'm a high-level, high-motor kind of guy on the offensive line. I feel like you don't see a lot of guys like me that are always working. Always giving you 110% every single play. But second of all, you know, I think that my one-on-one, you know, base drive blocks are the best, you know, the best in the country. And I think that one-on-one inside zone, outside zone, I can get it done no matter who it is, and I feel really confident in that.
All right, now if I was to ask you one word to describe Shane Lemieux, what would that word be?
Gritty. I'd say gritty.
Nice, nice. I like that one. Now, why choose OLP? Why come to Offensive Line Performance? Why train in this facility and in this location in Arizona?
Man, it's like the offensive line mecca, you know what I mean? Ever since high school, I'd watch videos of LeCharles Bentley teaching drive catch and all these other philosophies, and it kind of just came into fruition, you know. I had the opportunity, they kind of invited me here, man, and I couldn't pass it up. But getting here, man, and realizing how much really goes into being a great offensive lineman is really kind of mind-blowing. All the different levels of, you know, being one with your body, and, you know, just weight room strength is not always applied strength on the football field. So just stuff like that's really kind of mind-blowing. Mind-blowing.
Now, what was your biggest surprise coming here versus— like you said, there was a lot of, a lot, a lot of mind-blowing moments, but what was the biggest surprise, something that you didn't anticipate that happened?
Yeah, uh, you know, I watched a lot of film, and LB watched a lot of film of my stance set, of what I do in a normal day. It's when I walk to the line of scrimmage in the college, I would just kind of get up there, get down, plop down, get my comfortable stance. Uh, but the first day, you know, learning like there's a stance setup, I never, I never even thought of that. And being intentional with everything you have and having, you know, the right kind of, um, you know, pressure in the areas that shouldn't be, and, uh, being able to find, you know, feel your glute when you're down in your stance so you're able to contract that power and stuff. It's really, really mind-blowing, man. I, I didn't ever expect that. I never thought about anything like that.
So yeah, yeah, well, now, well, awesome stuff, man. Look forward to more, Shane. Thank you for joining the show. I really appreciate it, man.
Appreciate it.
All right, you've been watching Beyond the Pads. I'm Max Starks.
