JC Tretter had Cornell at the top of his list long before the Big Red had him high on theirs.

The 6-4, 300-pound preseason All-America offensive lineman's family bleeds Carnellian Red. His older sister and three uncles, including two-year football letter winner David Tretter, all attended Cornell.

Tretter fully expected to be the next in line, but the Big Red football program had other ideas. As his college search started, Tretter was unsure whether to go the football or basketball route, or try to play both at the Division III level. Whether they were uncertain about what position he would play (offensive line, defensive line, linebacker or tight end were all in the picture) or what sport he preferred, Cornell's coaching staff showed just lukewarm interest. Tretter finally got a call suggesting he explore other options.

While he looked at some Division III schools, including his dad's alma mater, Hobart, it was only a week later that Tretter finally got the Cornell call he had hoped for — the Big Red staff got wise and invited him to town for an official visit. It didn't matter that he still didn't know what position group he wanted. When the high school prospects were asked to group up on their visit to campus, Tretter looked around confused. The coaches finally told him to join whatever group he wanted.

Tretter jumped in with the tight ends.

Three years later, the Big Red wanted him to rethink that decision.

Not long after head coach Kent Austin took over the Big Red football program, he met with each of the team's returning players. When it was Tretter's turn, Austin proposed the idea of moving from tight end to the offensive line. His natural blocking skills, nimble feet and a frame that would be perfect for adding bulk made him an obvious candidate to move into the trenches.

The Big Red's previous staff had brought up the potential move during his freshman season. Offensive coordinator Bruce Barnum even told Tretter, then a reserve tight end, that if he moved midweek he likely would be in the starting lineup by the weekend. Homecoming weekend. But as tempting as immediate playing time sounded, he wasn't quite ready to envision himself without the ball in his hands.

"I told Coach Austin I didn't want to be a bad teammate, but I wanted to give tight end a try," Tretter said. "I think Coach Austin let it sit there, and gave it time to sink in so I could come to the decision myself," Tretter said.

A second-team all-state quarterback and his school's all-time leading scorer in basketball at Akron HS outside of Buffalo, Tretter was used to making the decisions rather than reacting to others. He also had some unfinished business.

Family bragging rights were at stake.

"My dad never lets me forget who has better receiving statistics," Tretter said.

Tretter was more of a blocking tight end, but the Big Red occassionally looked his way in an offense that wasn't friendly to the tight ends. He finally cracked the scoring column when he hauled in a 27-yard touchdown pass in a game at Columbia in 2010. He caught two passes for 36 yards in that game — and ended his pass-catching career with five catches for 80 yards and that score.

"I think the touchdown might have helped," Tretter said. "I keep hoping for some batted balls so I can score just to have some bragging rights in the household. Knowing I did something at tight end, I think that made the switch easier for me.

In the spring of 2011, Tretter came to the realization that a change might do him good. While sitting out practice with a knee injury, he saw the game from a whole new view. Forced to run the clock at practice from the press box at Schoellkopf Field, Tretter was able to see it all, and the decision became crystal clear.

"I saw how good Jeff (Mathews) was and how much the offensive line was struggling, and I figured it was the time to help the team out and make the move. I think sitting out puts you in a different perspective. You watch practice, you're away from it and it gets you thinking in different ways. I think it was a blessing in disguise, and the injury ended up being beneficial to me in the long run."

Austin, offensive line coach Jeff Fela and strength and conditioning coach Tom Howley immediately set up a plan with Tretter to bulk up. At 250 pounds at the end of his sophomore season, he would need to pack on at least 25 pounds to be effective the following fall.

"When I talked to them I told them I knew I needed to add weight and they were happy with me in the 270-280's range. I told them I wanted to do it the right way, I didn't want to get fat. I just didn't want to lose the athleticism that had made me a good blocker. The guys on the offensive line have more of an athletic mindset instead of just being a big kid all their lives. Dylan (Cunningham) is a converted tight end, Bob (Bullington) came in as a small tackle. That has only helped us, because he have a really athletic offensive line."

Though he was still recovering from his knee injury, Tretter went right to work. Though he couldn't do pass sets or leg workouts until just prior to the 2011 camp, he spent the summer with Howley working out and bulking up.

"The first 30 pounds were a lot easier than the last 10," Tretter said.

Once healthy, Tretter made an immediate impact on the line anchoring Mathews' blind side from left tackle. He started all 10 games en route to earning second-team All-Ivy honors as the team set new Cornell and Ivy passing records. With him, the Big Red offensive line cut its sacks from 49 in 2010 to 30 in 2011, despite more than 30 additional passing attempts.

"Whenever we're sliding to JC's side, I never have to worry," said offensive linemate and captain, Bob Bullington. "His strength is unbelievable. He gets on people fast and locks them out. It is very rare to see him get beat one-on-one. Watching film, he's always throwing people on their backs."

Without a fateful touchdown catch and a knee injury, Tretter would likely be lining up to play tight end again this year — possibly catching touchdown passes from Mathews instead of keeping his uniform clean. Instead, he's gained nearly 50 pounds, gotten stronger and quicker and turned himself into a legitimate prospect to play on Sunday afternoons.

Without the move to the offensive line, Tretter was well on his way to putting together a career his family would have been proud of.

He earned letters at tight end in each of his first two seasons and saw significant time on special teams as well. But maybe the achievement that brings him the most pride is being on the hands team, protecting against on-sides kicks. That's something he still is part of. It's not every day you see an offensive lineman on the hands team.

His exploits haven't gone unnoticed, and neither has the steady stream of NFL scouts at Cornell practices this fall. More than a dozen teams have sent scouts to campus to watch Tretter practice, view game film and talk to those who know him best.

He heads into his senior year ready to take his shot at professional football, but only after the Big Red makes a run at its first outright Ivy League title in school history.