The OFFENSIVE LINE

Start off with the fact that Roger Caron's bicep is probably bigger than your head.

Then consider, through that he needs those huge upper arms just to left his 6-ft, 5-in 280-lb frame out of bed in the morning.

And Carton decides where he gets up because none of his roommates, not even 6-ft 9-in 225 lb. basket center Joe Carrabino is foolish enough to venture into Caron's bedroom when he's asleep.

Every Saturday, Caron's rommatcs get to see what happen to defensive linemen who get in the Kirkland House resident's way.

And it ain't a pretty sight.

Carton, an All Ivy selection as a junior last season, is the best offensive lineman in the Ancient Eight.

And he's made a brilliant collegiate career out of steamrollering defensive ends and linebackers who as to interfere with the progress of the Crimson running game.

He is what linemate Wayne Hunley calls, "Just the heart and the could of the line."

That's a line that allowed the Crimson to rush for over 300 yards in its first four league games and record a mere 299-yard total against Brown last weekend

That's a line that has made fullback Robert Santiago and tailback Mark Vignali the top two ground gainers in the Ivies.

And that's line that is also a big part of the reason why the Crimson is striving to become the first Harvard football team ever to go 7-0 in organized Ancient light play.

Despite the Crimson's success this year. Carton, unlike many lifetime football players, isn't jumping up and down talking about coming to play, working together as a team and using a lot of other meaningless cliches.

Carton has gone so far as to question his commitment to the game.

As a sophomore, a disillusioned Caron even quit the football team and decided to try, "being a 100 percent regular Harvard student."

After taking his spring semester off that year, Caron, now a fifth year senior, decided that regular wasn't good enough and and he returned to football with a vengeance.

Three years later, a 220t-lb. sophomore quitter has become a 280-lb. senior honorable mention Division I-AA AII-American.

And Caron's about to become a 300-lb professional.

The Norwell, Mass, native draws a regular crowd of pro scouts to Crimson practices and his desk drawer is brimming with correspondence from agents and teams.

Caron says he just reads the letter once and puts them away until after the Yale game.

"To play pro, you've got to really want it," Caron says.

But he's not worrying about where he'll options. "I'll go where the best offer is."

"Put yourself in a place where you're being watch." says the History major. "And my career future is in their hands.

"It's more of a worrisome thing than an excitement."

The people doing the real worrying these days aren't Roger Caron or even the National Football League or United States Football League general managers that want him on their squads.

Instead, the folks sweating bullets are the Yale and Penn defensive ends that will spend long. Saturday afternoon wrestling with Caron, who got a big thrill before the final two games Tuesday night when his boys, Rep. Gerry Studds (D. Mass) won a hotly contested race for re-election to the United States Congress.

If you happened to be watching t.v. that evening, that ways Caron standing near the congressman during the Studds' victory celebration not too surprisingly, he wasn't that hard to pick out.

"I wouldn't mind going to Washington to work as a legislative assistant or something , if I decide not to play, or if they decide for me." says Caron, who began working for Studds during his semester off.

For now Caron is trying to concentrate on giving Harvard Coach Joe Rests his first undefeated try season.

"He's been here for 13 years." Caron say's. "It would be great for him."

Caron doesn't look at himself as much of a team leader, particularly since his closest friends all graduated last June.

"I don't try to throw my weight around." Caron says. Which, considering Caron's size, is probably lucky for the rest of the Harvard players.

"This isn't a team loaded with excess talent," the guard says. "Everyone is giving his maximum.

"There are more talented learns in the try League this year." he adds.

But Caron is equally sure that the Crimson will end up on top.

"I think we'll beat 'em."

For Caron, "'em" isn't Yale. It's a certain other team that's on tap this weekend.

"Yale's a rivalry, you respect them," he says. "After the game you have them over to your room.

"Penn's not a rivalry, it's a war." Caron says.

"I here don't have respect for us and we don't have any respect for them either. Something would be better [than beating Penn]." he continues. "It would be biggest than Yale.

"Definitely bigger."