Summer Goals
June 26, 2009 02:37 PM | General
June 26, 2009
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Count West Virginia University sophomore tight end Tyler Urban among those taking advantage of Mike Joseph’s expertise this summer. The 6-foot-5-inch, 244-pound North Huntindgon, Pa., resident says there are two goals he hopes to achieve this summer.
“I’m focusing on speed and keeping my weight up - I want to play at 250,” he said. “Coach Joseph has been working with me to make sure I get that weight on correctly and keep my speed up, too.”
The talented Urban has reintroduced the tight end position to the West Virginia offense. Although he caught just four balls during his freshman campaign in 2008, two of them went for important touchdowns in key conference victories against Rutgers and USF.
Urban also plays an important role in the running game, taking on defensive ends and linebackers - thus the need to pack on a few extra pounds of muscle.
“Last year I dropped down to about 230-235 so with that extra muscle it will help me block the D-Ends or get the linebackers,” he said. “I’m trying to get a little bit above 250 because during camp, I will probably lose a good five pounds at least.”
This is Urban’s first full summer working with the strength staff. The difference, he says, is already noticeable.
“When I came in last year I wasn’t even here yet actually. I think I came here June 30th so this is my first full summer,” Joseph said. “I had a full spring and then the first summer session, so I feel like I’m in better shape.”
Requiring its players to work hard and keep in top shape has always been one of the staples of the Mountaineer program. However, Urban said the strength staff is aware that young players can easily get burned out physically and mentally.
“It gets after you after a while. With football and school you really don’t have a break between that,” he admitted. “You’ll have a couple of days when you feel slow. When you have a week off from football, you have a week off from at least something and you feel more revived.”
That’s why Joseph is shutting down the weight room during the July 4th break. No players are permitted to do anything.
“This next week we are off for a solid week. Coach Joseph doesn’t want us doing anything,” Urban said. “You take advantage of those weeks and when he says be off, then you should be off because he doesn’t want to burn you out. He wants you to have some time to rest your body.”
Presently, the player-organized 7-on-7 passing leagues have been going well. Urban said that play has been sharp and crisp this summer, particularly from the quarterbacks.
“They are throwing lasers. Jarrett has been moving it around the field on a rope. I think he’s doing a really good job,” Urban said. “Gino (Smith) just came in and he has an arm. He looks like a young Jarrett out there. I think the quarterbacks are really catching on, and I think we’re going to have a good season throwing.”
In fact, sometimes the balls are coming at the receivers with such velocity that they have to pay attention or else they may take one to the head.
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| Sophomore Tyler Urban talks to reporters at the Milan Puskar Center earlier this week.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
“You turn and the ball is right there so that’s good,” Urban said. “You’ve just got to keep paying attention so you make sure you know where the ball is at.”
On the other side, Urban has been impressed with the way linebacker Reed Williams has been organizing the defense and safety Robert Sands has been reacting to the ball.
“Robert Sands is doing a great job. He is usually covering me on the deeper routes,” Urban said.
Several newcomers have also caught Urban’s eye.
“The few guys that have come in early these last three weeks - it’s been quite an adjustment for them,” he explained. “They’ve learned the offense so they are a little bit ahead of the incoming freshmen that haven’t come in yet and I think it’s beneficial.”
Once one of those newcomers, Urban played a prominent role during last year’s Meineke Car Care Bowl victory over North Carolina, and he is part of a returning core of players that have significant bowl-game experience.
Those players have come to expect success and when bloggers and pundits begin selling the Mountaineers short, eyes are raised. One blogger recently picked West Virginia to finish fifth in the Big East behind Rutgers, South Florida, Pitt and Cincinnati
“You see (preseason picks) but you don’t really analyze it much further than that,” Urban said. “We know what we can do and there is always going to be someone out there talking … saying we can’t do something.
“Inside our team, we know what we can do and the capabilities that we have,” Urban added. “There are some doubters out there but I think come season time, we will prove a lot.”
A wide smile forms on Urban’s face when it is mentioned that some still refer to West Virginia as simply a one-dimensional running team.
“In our offense they say we can’t throw and during the spring game we were throwing it all over the place,” he said.
Urban also takes exception to those who say the offensive line is going to be the team’s Achilles Heel this fall.
“The O-Line is not getting any credit but we have guys on the O-Line that can play,” he noted. “Selvish (Capers), (Eric) Jobe, (Josh) Jenkins and (Donny) Barclay – they’ve all played. And Jeff Braun is really getting in there and learning his stuff.”
