FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- In case you forgot about the touchdown pass heard 'round college football last season, the second sentence of Sebastian Tretola's player bio in Arkansas’ spring prospectus quickly reminds you.

“Launched a Heisman Trophy campaign after throwing a touchdown pass on a fake field goal,” it reads.

Ah, yes, the play. Tretola’s touchdown pass to long-snapper Alan D'Appollonio was equal parts amazing, fascinating and comedy, simply because someone as large as your standard offensive lineman had a chance to live the glory usually reserved for quarterbacks who often enjoy the fame that comes with the position. Arkansas capitalized on it with a “Vote Tretola” Heisman campaign video and even recently did a follow-up video, examining life six months after Tretola’s feat.

But before the touchdown pass, the Heisman campaign and turning into a standout left guard on a rising team in the SEC West, Tretola was simply a California kid trying to make it.

He washed out of Nevada after two seasons and found himself far from the cozy climate of the West Coast at a junior college in the Midwest, Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

It was quite the distance -- literally and figuratively -- from where he is now. Going from Division I football to the Midwest Football Conference was a culture shock.

“You kind of get hit in the face with junior college, coming from D-I,” Tretola said. “You have scholarship checks and you're getting fed all the time and getting gear. You go to juco where you're in a dorm in the middle of nowhere and it's all football all the time. That's all you have, 17-, 18-, 19-, 20-hour bus rides to games. It definitely humbles you.”

After being a self-admitted “knucklehead” who didn’t go to class at Nevada and wound up academically ineligible, Tretola matured and will now need only three hours in the fall semester to graduate, according to Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema. He had a stellar season in 2014, played every game (starting 11), allowed zero sacks and committed only four penalties in 690 snaps.

When he arrived in Fayetteville, Bielema wanted Tretola to start with a clean slate and the San Bernadino, California, product took full advantage, on and off the field.

“He has not bucked one time,” Bielema said. “We've transformed him into a guy that's now going to get drafted and play in the NFL. He's a guy that nobody ever thought was going to get to that level and it's just because he bought in. It's him, he made the decision to change.”

After arriving at 365 pounds, Bielema said Tretola is around 332 now. Quarterback Brandon Allen praised his attitude and work ethic.

“He's a very humble guy, very hardworking,” Allen said. “I say he's a typical offensive lineman. He's funny; all offensive linemen seem to be funny. He likes to have a great time.”

As evidenced by the Heisman videos.

More importantly for Arkansas fans, Tretola is one of four returning starters on an offensive line that produced the country’s only pair of 1,000-yard rushers on the same team last season, Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. A unit that was really good figures to be even better this season with Denver Kirkland sliding over to left tackle next to Tretola, Mitch Smothers at center, Frank Ragnow at right guard and Dan Skipper at right tackle.

Tretola even had a chance to re-enact the play that earned him national attention on Saturday in the Red-White spring game, though this time it wasn’t as successful. The fact that Bielema was even willing to try it means the world to him, though.

The story of how the play came about starts with Tretola throwing the ball around before practice with Allen. Bielema joked with him, asking him to stop for fear of injuring Allen. But the more he watched, the more Bielema realized that Tretola had a decent arm. So he drew up the play, they practiced it a few times (Bielema estimated a total of four minutes over the span of four weeks, maybe no more than six tries before it debuted vs. UAB) and the rest is history.

Now, Tretola’s face is more readily noticed around the Arkansas campus.

“It's definitely been a little crazier than the usual,” Tretola said. “I can only imagine if I had a Twitter or Instagram, then it'd probably be nuts, but it's definitely been enjoyable for sure.”

Whether we’ll see Tretola taking snaps again this season remains a mystery, but he’s certainly confident in his ability.

“I've got an arm,” Tretola said, laughing. “BA better be careful. He better watch out. I love him to death but I might be coming for his spot.”