When Dominick Richards makes statements about why he plays the offensive line, there is no uncertainty in his voice.

"I like to move someone against their will," Richards said. "I like to make them go where they don't want to go."Richards, who played center for James Madison University this season, recently attended the NFL combine in Dallas, Texas with 150 other hopefuls and left quite an impression, especially on the scouts from the St. Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders.His performances in one on one contact drills against defensive linemen from the likes of Notre Dame, LSU, and South Carolina gained the attention of not only representatives of the NFL, but also from the Canadian and Arena Football Leagues.Richards played quarterback in the Jim Thorpe knee-high program up until the eighth grade. He has since grown into a 6-5, 295-pound frame that has moved him from tight end where he excelled at Marian High School to guard, to tackle, and then to center at JMU."When I was a kid, I played anything with a ball in it," he said. "I was the biggest kid. I already weighed 185 as a freshman so I became used to having a target on my back."Ironically, the "biggest kid" has now been advised he should gain another 20 pounds before he showcases on Pro Day at JMU in the middle of March. To get to the target goal of 315 pounds, his weight gaining regimen includes an ingestion of 12,000 to 15,000 calories a day.While cooking a dinner that includes 15 pounds of chicken parmesan for his family of seven, Dominick's father Ralph said that his oldest son's food intake includes eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches between meals."The NFL sees potential in athletes who have a body frame that can get stronger and larger," said Dominick.A student scholar whose career goal is to become a nurse practitioner, Richards began to draw more attention to his athletic abilities at a Penn State summer football camp.Then, after signing with James Madison following high school, he saw the entire coaching JMU staff removed following his third year season with the program. New head coach Everett Withers instituted a spring football boot camp that he called, "The Purge" where Richards earned a spot to start for one of the highest scoring offenses in the country."We began each day at 5 a.m. and by the end of the camp, 20 players quit the team, including eight starters, some on full scholarships."Richards was told that if he wanted to see the field he would have to switch from tight end to right guard."Coach not only liked my size, but he liked my intelligence and my quick feet for pulling on trap plays."Then, after some time at offensive tackle in off season workouts last year, Richards was asked to move to center."I had never snapped a ball in my life. At JMU, we played shotgun on every down, so I spent three hours a day just practicing snaps."Snapping the ball may have been the easiest part of playing center. On each play, Richards had to identify the defensive front, locate the strong side linebacker, and communicate the slide protection to the quarterback if it was a pass play - all of this before he snapped the ball and executed his block.At the combine, he was asked to snap to quarterbacks who were directly under center, something he had never done before."That was a little awkward at first, but I got the hang of it," Richards said.There is no lack of confidence in Richards, who credits his family for much of his success.His father Ralph, who played linebacker at Fordham, and his wife, Jeanette, head a household of five accomplished athletic children. Besides Dominick, Damien was a three sport high school star at Marian High School, Dean played quarterback for Jim Thorpe High School this season, Natalia currently plays hoops for the Lady Olympians varsity, and David scores well over 20 points a game for his fifth and sixth grade recreation basketball team.The Richards family has stood alongside Dominick ever since he selected a college to attend.He chose James Madison, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school, from a host of offers that came from the likes of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools Temple, Rutgers, Syracuse and several other FCS colleges.Richards called the Virginia school, "the most beautiful campus" and added that "it felt like home" because of it strong family atmosphere and "real Southern hospitality."His solid play on the gridiron this season attracted a contact from Kris Yanges, an agent from the Sports Performance and Athlete Representation Agency. Yanges arranged for Richards to attend the combine.Although he realizes that making the NFL as a draft choice or as a free agent would be an extreme dream come true, Richards holds an excitement inside himself about his chances. Eighty-one percent of those who attended last year's combines were given opportunities to play in the NFL as either draft picks or as free agents.Soon after he performs weight lifting and agility drills on Pro Day, he hopes to get phone calls from some professional teams."I never thought the NFL was something reachable," said Richards, 'but I have a great belief in myself and a lot of support behind me."Besides his family, the support team includes Tamaqua head football coach Sam Bonner who implements a workout routine that will also include an intensive program designed personally for Richards by the strength and conditioning coach of the Houston Texans.He also credits his JMU offensive line coach, Jamal Powell."Dominick is extremely athletic and very smart" said Powell, a former offensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. "He was able to make the right calls on the line against different opponents we played each week. None of this was easy, especially since Dominick willingly changed positions three times."Powell believes that Richards "should get a real good look" by the NFL because of his talents, versatility, and coachability."I was blessed to have coached this fine young man," said Powell, who took no credit for Richards' success."He succeeded in the classroom as well as on the football field. He did that all on his own."When you are in the presence of Dominick Richards, you can tell that he is very comfortable with the person he has become. His family has taught him to work hard for what he wants in life and to remain humble when he reaps the rewards of his efforts. His humility is obvious, although he will say one thing about himself that is not sourced from any ego."I am a classy kid because of my mom and dad," he said.He has mapped out his own future that will be marked with more class. NFL players have told him, "It doesn't matter how you get there - just get there."Whether or not he gets the chance to play football on Sundays, in so many other ways, Dominick Richards is "already there."