ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Jake Long’s oversized body spilled out of a chair as he turned to the right and glanced at a wall of photos of former Michigan players in the NFL.

Tom Brady’s picture would stand out to most, but the 6-foot-7, 315-pound Long locked in on a row featuring several offensive linemen including Jon Jansen, Steve Hutchinson and Jon Runyan.

“It’s the first time I’ve looked up there in a while,” Long said in an interview with The Associated Press recently. “I’m excited to be up there, too.”

Long’s photo definitely will earn a spot in the recruiting lounge at Schembechler Hall after he is drafted Saturday, and there’s a chance he could be the No. 1 pick overall.

If the Miami Dolphins make Long the top selection, he will be the first offensive lineman – and fifth in league history – to be the No. 1 pick since 1997, when the St. Louis Rams took Ohio State tackle Orlando Pace.

Long insisted he isn’t consumed with the possibility of going first.

“It doesn’t matter to me when I get drafted,” he said. “I’ll be happy wherever I go and I’m going to do everything I can to have a great career. I have no clue who is going to take me and I don’t really care because I’ve done everything to show what I can do.”

The Big Ten has produced many men to protect quarterbacks and pave the way for running backs over the years.

Some linemen, such as Pace and Hutchinson, turned out to be Pro Bowl mainstays – while others, such as Michigan State’s Tony Mandarich and Iowa’s Robert Gallery haven’t succeeded.

Michigan and Ohio State both had seven linemen on opening-day rosters in 2007 followed by Wisconsin (six), Iowa and Purdue (five each), Illinois (four), Indiana (three), Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern (two apiece).

“Michigan has prepared guys well for the NFL over the years because they not only had to learn how to run block, but to pass block, too, in our system,” retired Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said Monday. “Jake Long is going to be the next great one because not only is he a special player, but he’s a great leader.”

The Cleveland Browns took former Badger Joe Thomas third overall last year and he played in the Pro Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals drafted former Nittany Lion Levi Brown at No. 5 a year ago and remain upbeat about him despite last season’s injuries.

As a junior, Long beat out both Thomas and Brown for his first of two Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year awards. He gambled financially by choosing to return to Michigan for his senior season – risking an injury that could’ve cost him millions – and Brandt said it definitely paid off.

“Jake Long is going to make a lot more money for staying in school, especially if he’s the No. 1 pick,” Brandt said. “And, he’ll be worth it because he’s a great tackle and a special person.”

Long gave up just two sacks and was called for only two penalties in his entire career. He joined Pace, Mandarich and Korey Stringer, a former Buckeye, as the only Big Ten linemen to be named the conference’s best in consecutive seasons.

During his sophomore season, he missed the first seven games with an ankle injury. Long weighed 335 pounds as Michigan slumped to a 7-5 record that motivated the entire team to get into better shape, including its star tackle. Long lost 20 pounds and kept the weight off.

Though he’s about to make a lot of money, Long isn’t taking anything for granted.

A month before the draft, the son of a factory worker and sub-sandwich maker was still driving his 1999 Dodge Ram.

“I like to have money before I spend it,” said Long, who chose not to borrow a lot of money from his agent, Tom Condon, like many players do from their representatives in the months leading up to the draft. “I’m sure once I earn some money, I’ll look for a new truck.”

When future visitors look at his picture in Schembechler Hall, some might say Long was the best lineman Michigan ever sent to the NFL.

“I don’t know if I deserve that status because so many greats have come here and so many are still in the league,” he said in his aw-shucks style. “It’s an honor just to be in a general category with those guys, but I have to prove it in the NFL like all of the great ones from Michigan have done.”