No matter what anybody will say, Gregory Christine's first start for the Washington Huskies was no free ride — monetarily or metaphorically.

That's the life of a walk-on player at a major university. He has to pay in all aspects.

The gregarious kid from Camarillo, Calif., toiled for three years in the University of Washington football program as a walk-on, fighting his way from a lightly recruited afterthought, to a human blocking-bag on the scout teams all while paying the $24,000-plus out-of-state tuition along the way.

On Tuesday, when offensive line coach Dan Cozzetto called Christine into his office and told him he'd be the starting right guard in Huskies' 2009 season opener against LSU on Saturday night, all the pain of being practice fodder, all the doubts he might not make it and all of the dollars he will eventually have to pay back, seemed worth it.

"I was definitely surprised," he said sporting a wide grin.

This won't be his first game action. A year ago, Christine got in for the final 13 snaps of UW's final game against Cal.

"I've watched them probably 300 times," Christine said.

"I told myself when I walked on that field, 'This might be the only 13 snaps I play in collegiate football and I need to have a story to tell me kids,' and I tried to take advantage of it."

Snap No. 14 of his college career will come against an LSU defensive front filled with talent.

"I have to prove it," he said of the start. "It's not here you go and time to go celebrate. This is LSU, this is a big game."

Starting wasn't something Christine had set as a goal coming into camp. He was just fighting to be noticed by the new staff. But since the new regime came in with idea of giving everyone a fresh start, Christine saw it as an opportunity.

He made sure his philosophy followed that of his new coaches.

"Accept coaching," he said as his key to getting the start. "I listened and did what they told me to do."

The coaching staff, particularly head coach Steve Sarkisian, took notice.

"I think he's taken to the coaching of Dan Cozzetto," Sarkisian said.

"(Christine) communicates well up front. He's physical. He's tough. He's got a blue-collar attitude, which you love to have from an offensive lineman. And I think he brings a lot of energy up front to our group that our guys feed off of."

All of those attributes Christine admits are something you must have as a walk-on.

"I looked at the rosters," he said. "UCLA was a place I really wanted to go, but they had like six offensive linemen coming in on scholarship."

Even with the Huskies' lack of line depth, the odds of him becoming a starter were slim. But Christine understood that challenge and embraced it.

"You have to work twice as hard to gain half as much," he said.