His teammates call him "Nasty Nate," but a more appropriate nickname for Missouri Western

senior Nathan Martin might be "Waldo."

"Where's Waldo playing today?" they could often ask,

as the center has played nearly every position on the Griffons' offensive line.

"Pretty close to it, anyway," Martin said. "If we get specific, I think right guard is the only position I haven't played in a game yet, but I've taken reps at everything."

Martin, of Wenzville, Mo., is back in the position for which he was recruited all along. He practiced at center his redshirt year, but after that the starting right tackle got hurt, and Martin found himself moved there. He rotated with another player at that position before taking it for his own later in the season.

Martin remained primarily a right tackle his sophomore season, but last year was brought back to center with the graduation of Patrick St. Louis.

Even then, the return to snapping the football wasn't permanent.

"When Corey Halderman blew out his knee we moved him to tackle again and put (Jeff) Brock at center," coach Jerry Partridge said. "There was a lot of moving around."

Western's coaches shuffled the deck extensively along the offensive line.

"Nathan swung around a lot; sometimes in one game he'd be in different spots," Partridge said.

Western's coaches knew he could handle it. Partridge believes the versatile Martin is among the best offensive linemen the Griffons have produced and that's high praise, considering 2008 football alum Roger Allen is now playing for the St. Louis Rams. Partridge believes there is no question Martin is playing at a first-team All-MIAA level.

Partridge calls Martin "cerebral." He also believes he is unusually athletic for a center, a position in which sometimes coaches will place a player lacking in some skills.

But that isn't Partridge's philosophy.

"Center's where you want him," Partridge said. "It's great to have that athleticism. And you want them to be the quarterback on that O-line, the guy that can direct everybody and make sure we get all the schemes right. He's that kind of guy."

Quarterback Drew Newhart said Martin's transition back to center was nearly seamless, with no problems with fumbled exchanges.

"Knock on wood, we haven't had a fumbled exchange yet," Newhart said. "He gets then ball back there to me, he blocks well, and he knows what's going on along the offensive line."

Martin said he believes he is most comfortable at center, although he misses being able to use both hands as he explodes off the line of scrimmage.

Martin will be the starting center today when the No. 15-ranked Griffons (6-1, 4-1 MIAA) play No. 14 in Martin's final homecoming game.

"I try not to think about that," Martin said. "Me and Todd (Shelton) and Josh (Clausen) are the senior offensive linemen, and it just hit us that Kirksville was our last overnight stay. Todd said something to me, and then we both got all sad-faced on each other."

While this is Martin's last homecoming, the Griffons have four regular season games remaining.

The Holt High School product, who will graduate from Western in May with a bachelor's degree in recreation sports management, wants to prolong his football-playing days as long as possible.

"We try not to think about (the end of our college careers) and just play the best we can now and get as many games as we can this season," Martin said.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be reached at rickd@npgco.com