Brian Robison, Texas
- Thread starter Bronk
- Start date
Good article on Robison:
'ROB'bing the competition
There is a pickup game going on at a basketball court on The University of Texas' campus in 2002. One side is made up of a group of Texas football's incoming freshmen and the other made up of some of the Longhorn veterans. There are two players, one from each team, stealing the show. The veteran will finish an alley-oop on one end and the freshman will sky over a helpless defender for a reverse dunk on the other.
The veteran, Roy Williams, now plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. The freshman, Brian Robison, is now a junior defensive end making offensive linemen feel helpless for the 2005 Longhorns.
"They were going at it the whole game," explained junior RB Selvin Young. "They were dunking the whole time, so when the game was over we had a dunking contest. B-Rob would throw it off the backboard, take it through his legs and dunk it. He wanted to stop, but we were making him keep dunking."
"I think he is the most athletic guy on our defense," added Young. "You don't think he can do the stuff that he does."
The rest of his teammates couldn't believe it either. When Robison came to Austin from the small town of Splendora, Texas, he was a middle linebacker that checked in at 6-3, 240 pounds. At first glance, nobody in The Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Strength Complex could have imagined that Robison would have the physical tools that he has.
"The first day he walked in, he shocked all the players," said UT's Assistant AD for Strength & Conditioning Jeff Madden. "We were testing on vertical jump and he out jumped some of our best athletes."
Now, three years later, he has increased his weight to 270-plus pounds, but did so by adding lean muscle mass so as not to detract from his uncanny athletic prowess, which has remained fully intact and helped him tie for the school record in blocked kicks with four over his career.
"He's got tremendous explosion to go along with a 40-inch vertical and can bench anywhere from 455 to 470 pounds," Madden stated. "That is great for a guy his size."
"I've been blessed to coach a couple hundred guys that are at the NFL level and he has a lot of the same attributes those guys had," added Madden. "He was blessed with a lot of God-given talent, but he is one of the best workers we have. I've really been impressed with his efforts over the years."
Those efforts have allowed him to make a successful switch from middle linebacker, where he played during his first two seasons on campus, one of which was a redshirt year, to defensive end where he started all 12 games of the 2004 season and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
"The athletic ability is one thing, but the thing that impresses me the most is how fast he's learned," said Robison's fellow defensive end Tim Crowder, who also earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last season. "When he first started playing defensive end, he would ask me what to do. He hardly knew how to get into a three-point stance. It's crazy how quickly he got adapted to the position."
In his first season at defensive end, Robison made 48 tackles and was second on the team with 18 pressures and 14 tackles for loss. He felt like he had made progress from game to game on the nuances of playing on the defensive line, but he knew he had a lot of work to do. However, unlike most college football players, who take time after the bowl game to rest and then get right back into working on their football techniques, Robison headed across the street from the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center to Mike A. Myers Stadium as a thrower for the Texas track and field team.
"Being a dual-sport athlete, he really puts a lot of time into his training," said Madden. "He's a year-round guy, and over there, he works more on his Olympic movements, snatching and cleaning. I'm sure being in that ring during track and field really helps him with his explosion."
Coming off an exciting year with the football program that included the 2005 Rose Bowl Championship, Robison headed into the 2005 track and field season with high expectations. Plus, he had gained a lot of confidence with his play during the previous football season, which often translates into better performances.
Robison took his athletic ability, the training and the boost in confidence and put it all together at the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Although Robison led through most of the shot put competition, the conference title would come down to the last round of throws. Missouri's Conrad Woolsey bettered Robison's mark on his final attempt. Then, Kansas' Sheldon Battle bettered Woolsey's mark, which set the stage for Robison, who would have the final throw of the competition. He powered the shot to 64-7.75, which bettered his previous personal best by over two feet.
With a Rose Bowl Championship and a Big 12 title under his belt, Robison used the summer to get even stronger and improve on his football techniques.
"The key is to make sure you put on good weight," explained Robison. "It was important for me to find the right weight, so I could still run fast and jump, while increasing my strength.
"I was learning the position on the fly and I thought I did pretty good, but looking back on it, I see that I could have done a lot of things better. But, I was better in the first game this year than I was in the last game of last year, so I'm getting better every game and it has allowed me to contribute more on the field."
Robison's contribution has increased and he has helped the Longhorns to an No. 8 national ranking in total defense, early in 2005. He leads the team in tackles for loss with seven, is tied for third in total tackles with 20 and has used his tremendous vertical leap to bat down two passes, not including one that he batted into the arms of an offensive player.
His athletic ability is almost legendary throughout the Texas locker room and even now, after adding between 30 and 40 pounds to his 6-3 frame, Robison still gets a chance to show it off.
"He can still do the dunks he did as a freshman," noted Young. "Now, it's just easier for him."
Apparently, the same can be said about his play on the football field as well.
'ROB'bing the competition
There is a pickup game going on at a basketball court on The University of Texas' campus in 2002. One side is made up of a group of Texas football's incoming freshmen and the other made up of some of the Longhorn veterans. There are two players, one from each team, stealing the show. The veteran will finish an alley-oop on one end and the freshman will sky over a helpless defender for a reverse dunk on the other.
The veteran, Roy Williams, now plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. The freshman, Brian Robison, is now a junior defensive end making offensive linemen feel helpless for the 2005 Longhorns.
"They were going at it the whole game," explained junior RB Selvin Young. "They were dunking the whole time, so when the game was over we had a dunking contest. B-Rob would throw it off the backboard, take it through his legs and dunk it. He wanted to stop, but we were making him keep dunking."
"I think he is the most athletic guy on our defense," added Young. "You don't think he can do the stuff that he does."
The rest of his teammates couldn't believe it either. When Robison came to Austin from the small town of Splendora, Texas, he was a middle linebacker that checked in at 6-3, 240 pounds. At first glance, nobody in The Dr. Nasser Al-Rashid Strength Complex could have imagined that Robison would have the physical tools that he has.
"The first day he walked in, he shocked all the players," said UT's Assistant AD for Strength & Conditioning Jeff Madden. "We were testing on vertical jump and he out jumped some of our best athletes."
Now, three years later, he has increased his weight to 270-plus pounds, but did so by adding lean muscle mass so as not to detract from his uncanny athletic prowess, which has remained fully intact and helped him tie for the school record in blocked kicks with four over his career.
"He's got tremendous explosion to go along with a 40-inch vertical and can bench anywhere from 455 to 470 pounds," Madden stated. "That is great for a guy his size."
"I've been blessed to coach a couple hundred guys that are at the NFL level and he has a lot of the same attributes those guys had," added Madden. "He was blessed with a lot of God-given talent, but he is one of the best workers we have. I've really been impressed with his efforts over the years."
Those efforts have allowed him to make a successful switch from middle linebacker, where he played during his first two seasons on campus, one of which was a redshirt year, to defensive end where he started all 12 games of the 2004 season and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
"The athletic ability is one thing, but the thing that impresses me the most is how fast he's learned," said Robison's fellow defensive end Tim Crowder, who also earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last season. "When he first started playing defensive end, he would ask me what to do. He hardly knew how to get into a three-point stance. It's crazy how quickly he got adapted to the position."
In his first season at defensive end, Robison made 48 tackles and was second on the team with 18 pressures and 14 tackles for loss. He felt like he had made progress from game to game on the nuances of playing on the defensive line, but he knew he had a lot of work to do. However, unlike most college football players, who take time after the bowl game to rest and then get right back into working on their football techniques, Robison headed across the street from the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center to Mike A. Myers Stadium as a thrower for the Texas track and field team.
"Being a dual-sport athlete, he really puts a lot of time into his training," said Madden. "He's a year-round guy, and over there, he works more on his Olympic movements, snatching and cleaning. I'm sure being in that ring during track and field really helps him with his explosion."
Coming off an exciting year with the football program that included the 2005 Rose Bowl Championship, Robison headed into the 2005 track and field season with high expectations. Plus, he had gained a lot of confidence with his play during the previous football season, which often translates into better performances.
Robison took his athletic ability, the training and the boost in confidence and put it all together at the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Although Robison led through most of the shot put competition, the conference title would come down to the last round of throws. Missouri's Conrad Woolsey bettered Robison's mark on his final attempt. Then, Kansas' Sheldon Battle bettered Woolsey's mark, which set the stage for Robison, who would have the final throw of the competition. He powered the shot to 64-7.75, which bettered his previous personal best by over two feet.
With a Rose Bowl Championship and a Big 12 title under his belt, Robison used the summer to get even stronger and improve on his football techniques.
"The key is to make sure you put on good weight," explained Robison. "It was important for me to find the right weight, so I could still run fast and jump, while increasing my strength.
"I was learning the position on the fly and I thought I did pretty good, but looking back on it, I see that I could have done a lot of things better. But, I was better in the first game this year than I was in the last game of last year, so I'm getting better every game and it has allowed me to contribute more on the field."
Robison's contribution has increased and he has helped the Longhorns to an No. 8 national ranking in total defense, early in 2005. He leads the team in tackles for loss with seven, is tied for third in total tackles with 20 and has used his tremendous vertical leap to bat down two passes, not including one that he batted into the arms of an offensive player.
His athletic ability is almost legendary throughout the Texas locker room and even now, after adding between 30 and 40 pounds to his 6-3 frame, Robison still gets a chance to show it off.
"He can still do the dunks he did as a freshman," noted Young. "Now, it's just easier for him."
Apparently, the same can be said about his play on the football field as well.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Now that was a good article!
The thing is, there are so many other guys out there just like him. They just don't make it far enough to get this kind of publicity because of the Caste System. It weeds them out, and only a blessed few get through to be talked about like Brian Robison. Hopefully this kind of writing will help open more eyes and dispell myths!
white lightning
Hall of Famer
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I couldn't agree with you more Colonel Reb.There is an olympic weightlifter from the US who is similar to Robison.He has a 40 inch vertical leap and can do amazing things with a basketball.He can dunk easily without running up to the basket and he is under 6 feet tall.There are so many exceptional athletes that never get the chance to compete at the highest levels!
Robison should be on the all-American watchlists. The guy gets better and better every week.
Against Texas Tech last Saturday he had three QB sacks. On one, he strung out a rollout pass, played off the blocker by shucking him like a sack of potatoes, grabbed the QB by the back of the collar and ripped him down.
Robison is studastic.Edited by: Bronk
Against Texas Tech last Saturday he had three QB sacks. On one, he strung out a rollout pass, played off the blocker by shucking him like a sack of potatoes, grabbed the QB by the back of the collar and ripped him down.
Robison is studastic.Edited by: Bronk
Leonardfan
Hall of Famer
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I remember when Kudla like beat the bench press record or tied it at the combine people were saying it wasn't that big of a deal because he had short arms but a black d-lineman with a longer armspan put up a few less and everyone was just amazed. First thing that came to mind was Kudla when discussing Robinson. Hopefully he does not get the same underserved fate of Kudla.