By Mike O'Brien

On September 20th, 2014, seniors Max Lehrman, Scott Mergner and Jonathan Woodrow will strap on their Amherst helmets, put on their Purple & White jerseys, and walk onto Pratt Field for their final home opener of their football careers. 
       
The sport has played a major role in each of their lives, ever since they were kids. It is also what brought them together. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, the three lineman have built a bond that goes well beyond the football field.
       
Growing up in Aspen, Colorado, Woodrow became infatuated with skiing. With a ski lift right outside his high school, he was fortunate enough to hone his skills and become a member of a state championship racing team. However, not all his memories are positive. When he was 10, he broke his leg. "I wasn't always this big," joked Woodrow. "I would say my size is a product of my broken leg. I spent six months on the couch and have been a big man ever since." Now looking back, the broken leg may have been a blessing in disguise. The 6-3, 260 pound lineman nicknamed "Woody," or any other variation of his last name, is now playing for a third NESCAC Championship as the starting right guard for Amherst College. 
       
Woodrow claims the funny role in the group and is known as a classic one-line machine. He's a character, as head coach E.J. Mills would say. But it isn't all fun and games. Since joining the Jeffs, the senior has worked tirelessly to get playing time, and, after spending his sophomore season on the scout team, earned himself the starting center position as a junior following a phenomenal year.
       
"He's one of our real mainstays on the offensive line," said Mills. "I couldn't be more proud of him. He had a lot of confidence in his own ability and stuck to a plan, and is now reaping the rewards."
       
Then there is Max Lehrman. The laid-back, carefree but also serious one. Lehrman may be seen on the sidelines with his helmet off, black eye paint on, yelling in enthusiasm. The defensive end, and 2013 All-NESCAC First Team selection, grew up with football. He began playing competitively in the third grade and always remembers having a ball in his hands. 
       
"Max takes great pride in doing what he's supposed to do," says defensive coordinator Luke Bussard. "He listens; he's a student of the game. If you said one thing about Max, you'd say how intelligent a player he is. He studies tape, he understands who he is playing against, and he really learns an opponent to make him a better player."
       
Lehrman describes himself as a technique guy. He enjoys and studies the top players in the world at both the collegiate level and professionally. He analyzes those that are good at the craft and looks to implement those skills into his game. 

"Lehrman's best strength is his awareness on the field," says defensive line coach Eddy Augustin. "He understands the defense, and more importantly his opponent and their schemes. This is accomplished through countless hours of film study on his own. He's reacting before the ball is snapped, making it extremely difficult for his opponent. He has a unique ability to assess his weaknesses and make the adjustments to develop them into strengths.  He is an outstanding person and character off the field as well."

A Washington, D.C. native, he is also an excellent golfer and enjoys playing with his family and friends. Those high expectations he holds for himself on the football field are also applied to his golf game. "Any time I get to golf with him is a treat," says Woodrow. "He does know a ton about the game, he watches a lot of golf and is a phenomenal player, and I hope I'm able to show them (Max and Scott) something similar on the mountain."

Lehrman attended the Landon School, a private, college preparatory school for boy's grades 3-12, and just 30 seconds from Mergner's home. However, Mergner went to the rival school, Georgetown Prep.  Despite the close proximity to each other, it wasn't until the end of their senior years in high school when they formally met on a high school all-star team.
       
During the recruiting process, Lehrman attended Ivy League camps but decided Amherst was the right fit and committed early in his senior season. Mergner, however, was interested but had not visited the campus until January of 2011. When Lehrman found out Mergner had been contemplating Amherst, he kept in touch and hounded him, constantly texting to try and get his all-star teammate to join him in the Pioneer Valley, and it paid off. Now, best friends, the two square off against each other every practice. And Lehrman continues to nag his good buddy.
       
"We definitely understand that the harder we go, the better we are making each other," said Mergner.  "Whether we are doing one-on-one's and Max beats me 3-out-of-4 times, that's going to make me better, or vice versa."
       
Though they refer to each other as brothers, that family-like bond disappears when they step foot on the practice field. The pride is strong and neither of them like losing to their best friend. But whatever happens on the field, is left on the field.  
       
"They've been competing and making each other better," said Mills. "They are battling daily right now, which is a good thing for both of them." 
       
Mergner was selected as team captain this year for obvious reasons. From day one, he was focused and mature beyond his years. He began playing tackle football as a second grader but was always bigger than his peers, even as a child. Due to weight and age restrictions, he was forced to play flag football until eighth grade. 
       
A big country guy at heart, the Maryland native loves building classic cars with his dad. As he sits in the conference room on the first floor of 79 South Pleasant Street on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, wearing an orange Chevy shirt and camo hat, he reflects on a favorite hobby. "One of my true passions is building classic cars with my dad," he says. "He taught my brother and I an incredible amount, and besides all those learning lessons, it's just a wonderful father and son bonding experience."

The 6-4, 280 pound right guard is the epitome of a hard worker. During the Tuesday afternoon interview, he even jokes that the time is cutting into his pre-practice routine, despite practice being two hours away. "He's one of the most driven young men I've ever coached," says Mills. "He's always doing the right thing and his devotion and dedication to not only the football team, but his craft and being the best player he can be is absolutely what you are looking for." 

This past spring, all three linemen traveled overseas to Florence (Lehrman), Vienna (Mergner) and Paris (Woodrow). The distance wouldn't keep them apart, however, as they managed to visit each other on numerous occasions.

The one constant for all three? Finding the best gym. Before leaving the United States, Mergner did his research and came across the biggest gym he could possibly find. One that showcased Arnold Schwarzenegger posters on the wall. Lehrman, however, wasn't so lucky. After several misses, he finally stumbled upon one that had the proper equipment, with the wrong atmosphere. He recalls a time when he and his roommate, a defensive player at Bowdoin, got yelled at for being too loud. It was typical of the gyms Lehrman and Woodrow visited, which they described to be more of a social scene.
    
 Within 24 hours upon their arrival back home, Lehrman and Mergner traveled to Mrytle Beach to send off their senior teammates, who they hadn't seen in months. Now, as they all prepare for their final seasons, the reality kicks in. But they realize they are having more fun now than they ever have. This is their senior season and they are excited to lay it all on the line, with their best friends by their side.