Eastview lineman Zack Johnson's football résumé might look a little something like this: 6-5, 310 pounds, dominates opposing defenses, blocks punts, stops the run, squats 500 pounds, front-flip capable.

That's what North Dakota State is getting next year.

At a team overnight retreat this summer, Lightning associate head coach Eric VandeBerg had to do a double take. He swears he saw his monstrous star lineman do a front flip off the gymnastics trampoline.

"I said, 'You've got to do that again,' so we filmed it and I think he was going to put it on his highlight film," said VandeBerg, who runs the offensive line. "I tell you what, a 6-foot-5, 300-plus-pound kid doing a front flip -- even if it's off a trampoline -- is pretty amazing.

"For a guy his size, he has the most incredible athletic ability I've ever seen."

Johnson might be well known for his bulldozing on the offensive side of the football, but the Lightning has been using him wherever possible. On Oct. 7, he blocked a Burnsville punt, recovered it and also managed to scamper for a few yards.

Johnson can move for his size, and he's actually slimmed down a bit from being at 330 pounds. He greatly improved on his quickness and mobility over the summer and has dropped about 20 pounds. But he's still not small by any measure.

His father, Ron, saw his son grow four inches between ninth and 10th grade. He always had that lineman mentality, and didn't have much of a choice.

"He could never carry the football," said Ron Johnson, who coached Zack up until eighth grade. "A lot of kids just don't want to play football when they can't carry the ball, but for some reason he had a passion for it."

Said Zack, "I like to see the ball get moved down the field. I also like just coming off and hitting people."

Johnson earned some playing time as a sophomore and started as a junior. His team started his senior year with losses to the two Lakeville schools, so teammates have turned to him even more than expected.

"I jokingly use the Kirby Puckett analogy with him, that he's kind of put the team on his shoulders," VandeBerg said. "He's had to play both ways, and he'll probably play both ways the rest of the season."

His hard work saw a reward two weeks ago in the form of a verbal commitment to play football at North Dakota State. After attending a one-day camp, Johnson received an offer on the spot.

"They didn't say they were going to offer but never did, like some other schools did,'' said Johnson, who will join former teammate and good friend Frank Veldman in Fargo. "They were the ones that were the most straight up with me, and I loved their coaches."

Johnson attended several college camps, including ones at bigger schools such as Wisconsin and Minnesota. He didn't attend the Bison's victory over the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium because it was Eastview's homecoming, but he watched the game on TV. It wasn't a big influence on his decision.

"But that was huge to beat a Big Ten team," Johnson said.

VandeBerg said he was surprised there wasn't more interest in the lineman, but feels the Bison are going to be a good fit.

"That's a heck of a football program up there, and that's the only game in town," VandeBerg said. "That's the perfect place for him."