During Vikings practices at Winter Park this month players like defensive end Brian Robison are not only trying to learn team assignments but also improve their individual skills. The idea is to use repetition of correct fundamentals so often that when the season starts in September someone like Robison is in “muscle memory” mode.
Robison, 31, has been a starter for the past three seasons. His contributions this year could include filling the loss of defensive end and pass rushing specialist Jared Allen who has signed with the Bears. Allen’s sack totals the last three seasons were 11.5, 12 and 22. Robison’s have been 9, 8.5 and 8.
“One of the things that really stuck out to me last year was I felt like I missed way too many sacks,” Robison told Sports Headliners. “I got to the quarterback a lot but I feel like a lot of those hurries and stuff like that could have been converted into sacks had my footwork been a little bit better, had my angle been a little bit better.
“So this year that’s one of the keys that I’ve been working on is making sure that when I get to that corner that I am really turning and I’ve got a better angle to the quarterback. To me it’s one of those deals where it doesn’t matter how long you’re in this league, as soon as you think you’ve arrived, you’re kind of on your way out. There’s always something that you can get better at.”
How many sacks can Robison total in 2014? “I’d like to have as many as I can. Bottom line is as a D-line we just gotta disrupt quarterbacks and win ball games. That’s the only thing that’s important to me is winning a bunch of ball games.”
Robison has the experience and determination to expect his best season. “I am gonna do the best I can to be the best defensive end in the league. Whether that happens or not, that’s on me so we’ll find out and see what happens.”
What Robison knows for certain is without the work and repetition of the right fundamentals, success won’t follow.
Worth Noting
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer credits a nutrition plan, along with efforts by strength coaches and trainers, in helping his players to collectively add 70 pounds of muscle and lose 170 pounds of fat during the offseason. “I actually have also lost some weight too, but I think that’s from stress. No, I’m eating fish every day for lunch so that’s a change for me too,” Zimmer said.
The new Vikings stadium, opening in 2016, won’t host the Big Ten Football Championship Game until at least 2022. Minneapolis stadium promoters are interested in bringing the annual game here but the Big Ten Conference has extended its commitment to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through 2021. By then Lucas Oil Stadium will have hosted all 11 of the league’s championship football games since its inception.
The University of Houston football program has Minnesota connections beyond head coach Tony Levine, the former Gopher from St. Paul. Levine’s assistants include ex-Gophers defensive coordinator David Gibbs and former offensive line coach Gordy Shaw.
Mike Wilkinson, who authored the biography of former Gophers football coach Murray Warmath, has a story on Weeklynews.com recalling today (June 12) is the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones’ performance at the old Excelsior Amusement Park. The British rock group was then in its formative years.
Ryan James, writing in Monday’s Gopherillustrated.com, reported DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson, who will be a senior next season, was outstanding dribbling and shooting last week in the Clash of the Classes game at Concordia, St. Paul. The all-star type game Johnson participated in matched players who will be seniors next school year against those who will be juniors. Johnson, an ESPN.com top 100 recruit for the class of 2016, has several dunks on Youtube.com.
The Minute Men are promoting a raffle offering the winner two MLB All-Star events packages including admission to the All-Star game at Target Field on July 15 and events in preceding days such as the Home Run Derby. Raffle tickets cost $20 each with more details available at Minnesotaminutemen.com. The Minute Men are a volunteer organization supporting Minnesota sports for more than 50 years.
Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh (St. Paul) and forward Derek Stepan (Hastings) are among 12 U.S. collegiate alums in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals. McDonagh and Stepan, along with Kings defenseman Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, Michigan), are three former WCHA alums in the finals. McDonagh and Stepan played collegiately at Wisconsin while Greene is a North Dakota alum.
Gophers women’s associate head coach Joel Johnson has been named the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team for the 2014-15 season.