Dynamite Dozen: Grigsby a leader on Warriors' offensive line

North Cobb offensive lineman Robert Grigsby is one of the primary leaders up front.

His blocking helps give the talented skill position players on the offense time to operate. Grigsby said he takes a particular pride in keeping quarterback Malachi Singleton clean.

“Of course, you never want somebody like that getting hurt under your supervision,” Grigsby said. “I’ve got to keep him protected back there.”

At 6-foot-4, 305-pounds, Grigsby has the size to take on even the most talented defensive lineman in the county, but coach Shane Queen said Grigsby’s character stands out along with his on-field talent.

“He’s a young man that gives it his all every time he walks in the weight room. He’s up to 305 pounds, a very athletic offensive tackle, but he’s another kid that you’d take home and let him live with you,” Queen said. “We’ve got a lot of great not not just football players but a lot of hot character young men and that’s what he brings to the table.”

The North Cobb offensive line is a cohesive unit, thanks in large part to Grigsby’s chemistry with fellow seniors — guard Marselle Felton and center Blake Ellsworth. Queen said the trio are very tight-knit.

“They’re inseparable, they’re the three amigos, they do everything together. They started as little young sophomores and now they’re going on their senior year,” Queen said. “What I told him in the spring game is, ‘Let’s make this thing last as long as we can.’ It’s the last ride so to speak, and they love each other enough to where I’ve told them ‘let’s get better every day we walk on the field and have no regrets’ and I know they’ll do that.”

Coming off a 10-2 season and a second-round playoff appearance, Grigsby said he’s focused on the season ahead rather than looking back.

“I’m not even worried about what happened last year. I’m worried about what we have in the future,” Grigsby said. “We got the weapons and the hard work and everything that we can to do it to make it to the championship. I truly think we will do that this year, I think we’ll win it also.”

Grigsby committed to North Carolina in July. He said the campus and the people he met during the recruiting process were the biggest factors in his decision.

“I really just felt a really nice family environment,” Grigsby said. “You know, I want to go get a great education. I love the coaches and the players there. And they just have something really good going on and I just really want to be a part of it.”

He said the coaches told him that they view him as an interior offensive lineman at the next level in spite of his experience at the tackle position.

“They had a whole presentation, some pros and cons, things I need to work on,” Grigsby said. “Right now in high school, I play tackle, they see me playing more of a center/guard position when I get to college. They like how physical I play.”