Preps – Page 106 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings Robison Works to Convert Sacks

Posted on June 12, 2014June 12, 2014 by David Shama

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.

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June 14 Wedding Set for Vikings Center

Posted on June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 by David Shama

It is no ordinary June for Vikings starting center John Sullivan who this week is at Winter Park practicing with teammates. He will be married on June 14 in Long Island, New York. He dclined to give his fiancée’s name but did say the couple will enjoy an Alaskan honeymoon cruise in late June.

Sullivan was drafted by the Vikings out of Notre Dame in 2008. Since 2009, when Sullivan became the starting center, he has missed only three of 77 games. A calf injury, knee surgery and concussion have been challenges. After the Vikings went through one of their recent Organized Team Activities he was asked about his health.

“I don’t know if you’re ever 100 percent as a professional football player but I am as close as I’ve been in a long time,” he told Sports Headliners.

Any lingering injuries? “Nothing. We always call it total body soreness. That just means you got a lot of games under your belt.”

Sullivan, who turns 29 on August 8, was named All-Pro by Pro Football Weekly in 2012. With his age and experience, he could be positioned to have his best season in 2014.

“That’s always the goal,” Sullivan said. “Every year your goal is to play the best you can as an individual, because that’s how you help the team win, and that’s what it comes down to.”

The Vikings’ record was 5-10-1 last season. A prediction late last month by the Las Vegas Hilton wagering authorities said the team will win only six games this season, but that doesn’t mean anything to Sullivan.

“I hadn’t heard that,” Sullivan said. “Frankly, we don’t care what Vegas says. We don’t care what anybody says. The people that have control over that situation are the ones that are here now, on this practice field and this building going to work everyday. We’re going to put the work into it to win as many games as we possibly can.”

The number of wins, of course, will have much to do with quarterback production. In practices Sullivan is impressed with veterans Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, and rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

“Teddy looks great so far,” Sullivan said. “He’s a confident young guy. He’s made some incredible throws, and obviously we know who Matt and Christian are. They’re both guys that have led teams to playoffs in the past. We feel like we have three guys who can go out and get the job done.”

Sullivan is pleased new head coach Mike Zimmer retained offensive line coach Jeff Davidson who was with the Vikings for three prior seasons. Davidson’s reputation as an instructor and technician is well established at Winter Park.

Sullivan is impressed, too, with his new head coach after watching Zimmer lead the team in spring activities. “There’s no nonsense out here. No BS. Coach Zimmer is concerned with holding everybody accountable and winning football games. That’s all it comes down to.”

Sullivan is a leader who over the years has been involved with community activities including the drive to build the new stadium opening in 2016. Then in 2018 the stadium will host the Super Bowl. Wouldn’t it be special if the Vikings were playing in that Minneapolis game?

“It would be amazing just to be in a Super Bowl,” Sullivan said. “We don’t care where it is. You could play in a parking lot in Missouri. We don’t care.

“Yeah, would it be nice to play in a Super Bowl, here? Of course.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings continue their Organized Team Activity sessions this week at Winter Park. Players and coaches, as part of the franchise’s community work, will help build a playground on Wednesday at Lucy Craft Laney School in Minneapolis.

Pedro Florimon, who hit .108 in 65 at bats with the Twins this spring, is batting .237 in 59 plate appearances since being demoted to Triple-A Rochester. Former Twins starter Scott Diamond, also with Rochester, is 2-6 with a 7.51 ERA. Teammate and hot starting pitching prospect Alex Meyer is 3-1 with a 3.31 ERA and impressive 62 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

Joe Schmit’s book, Sudden Impact, is now in its second printing. The KSTP TV sportscaster said the first press run was 5,000 and now another 5,000 have been printed.

Schmit’s hometown is Seymour, Wisconsin. That’s also the hometown of prep shooting guard Sandy Cohen who reportedly was recruited by the Gophers but will attend Marquette.

The Minute Men, the volunteer organization supporting Minnesota sports for more than 50 years, will honor outstanding high school lacrosse players at a noon banquet June 15 at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul-Riverfront Hotel. The finalists for Mr. Lacrosse are Max Elsenheimer (Eagan), Michael Lamb (Benilde-St. Margaret), J.R. Riley (St. Thomas Academy), Sam Turner (Academy of Holy Angels), Charlie Venable (Eden Prairie), Carter Yepson (Rosemount) and Conner Yepson (Rosemount). Finalists for Ms. Lacrosse are Sophie Buelow (Chanhassen), Sheila Hirsch, (Edina), Anna Johnson (Eden Prairie), Katie Larson (Apple Valley), Ali Ridge (Minnetonka), Anne Slusser (Blake) and Lydia Sutton (Blake).

Finalists for Mr. Goalie are Max Fehey (Eden Prairie) and Aaron Wiederhoeft (Prior Lake), while finalists for Ms. Goalie are Oralee Hespenheide (Bloomington Jefferson), and Maddie Kohlbeck (Farmington).

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If Not U, Jeff Jones Headed to Iowa CC?

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 by David Shama

Jeff Jones, the nationally recognized Washburn High School running back who is arguably the prize recruit in the 2014 Gophers football class, could be headed to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs.

Jones needs a higher score on his ACT test to be accepted by the University of Minnesota. He will take the test for a fourth time on June 14. Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins declined to specify what score Jones needs to become eligible to play for Minnesota this year.

“I honestly think he is going to get it (the improved score),” Jenkins told Sports Headliners. “He’s improved each time. He is confident he’s going to get it. He knows junior college is not where he wants to be.”

Jenkins said if Jones doesn’t qualify for admission to Minnesota he will need to spend two years at a community college and earn a degree to then have immediate eligibility at an NCAA program, presumably the Gophers.

Jenkins has spoken with Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier and is enthusiastic about the program that is annually a national power. Jenkins described the Reivers, who won the 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association championship, as a “great program” that has sent more than 20 players to Division I schools the last two years. “It’s definitely a program he (Jeff) wants to be part of,” Jenkins said.

But Jones, of course, would rather be a Gopher, fulfilling the commitment he made in February when he signed his national letter of intent binding him to Minnesota. Jones is the only Rivals.com four-star recruit in the Gophers 2014 recruiting class. He turned heads playing in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game in Florida last January, gaining 72 yards and being named Team Nitro MVP.

In past years the best Minnesota football preps have chosen schools other than the Gophers so Jones’ commitment to play for his hometown team is viewed as a step forward for UM coach Jerry Kill.

In pursuit of a qualifying ACT score, the 6-foot, 200-pound Jones could take encouragement from former Washburn tight end Ra’Shede Hageman who didn’t become eligible to play for the Gophers until June of his senior year. Hageman became an All-Big Ten defensive lineman and was selected in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Falcons.

Worth Noting

Iowa Western Community College’s Strohmeier has been head coach of the Rievers since 2008. He is from Watkins, Minnesota and played quarterback at Fergus Falls Community College and the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Jenkins said Hageman has signed his contract with the Falcons and purchased a Porsche.

The Chanhassen house of former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is for sale at $1.75 million, according to a Wednesday Bizjournals.com story by Jim Hammerand.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer after being asked yesterday if players attending the organized team activities are buying into a new coach and system: “I don’t worry about if they are buying in. My job is to coach them hard and try to get them to be the best players they can be. …”

Zimmer on what he’s seen from All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson: “Yeah, he looks great. He’s made some tremendous cuts, you’d have to ask him, but he seems excited to be here, about some of the things that we are trying to do with him and I think it’s only going to continue to get better.”

With reported trade rumors involving Kevin Love, it’s fair to wonder if the Timberwolves All-Star forward will participate as scheduled in the July 13 celebrity softball game at Target Field. The game is part of the MLB All-Star Game promotional activities and it seems likely Love, sure to be greeted by boos, will become a cancel if traded to another NBA club between now and July 13.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino, who was hired about 14 months ago, will receive a raise and if the increase isn’t agreed to yet it will be soon. Pitino’s initial salary was set at $500,000, plus $700,000 of supplemental compensation.

Randy Wittman, fired as Timberwolves coach in 2008, is close to a contract extension with the Wizards.

The MIAC all-sports standings recognize an overall annual champion for each gender. For the seventh consecutive school year St. Thomas has finished first in both the men’s and women’s all-sports standings. St. Olaf and Saint John’s were second and third in men’s sports while Saint Benedict and Gustavus were runners-up in women’s athletics.

The St. Thomas men have finished first 28 times in 52 years, while the women have done it 23 out of 32 years. The Tommies have finished first in both genders 19 of the past 30 years, an indication of the many winning teams and seasons at the St. Paul school.

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