Necessary Steps
July 14, 2009 05:31 PM | General
July 14, 2009
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| Jordan Roberts |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University football fans have grown accustomed to seeing running backs adorned in the Old Gold and Blue breaking through holes, jetting past confused defenders and blazing down the sidelines toward the end zone.
In recent years, Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium has hosted its share of speedy running backs. There was Steve Slaton in 2006, dodging Cincinnati Bearcats left and right on his way to a 62-yard gain and a 42-24 WVU victory. Just last season, Noel Devine sealed the Syracuse win with a back-breaking 92-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Needless to say, WVU fans expect their backs prepped, gassed and ready to cruise into the end zone.
Yet, no one expected the spectacle they witnessed at the 2009 WVU Gold-Blue Spring Game.
Though Devine managed to whet the fans’ appetites with a punishing 74-yard TD, afterward the spotlight veered away from the celebrated back and instead shone on Madison, W.Va., native Jordan Roberts.
Tallying a 65-yard touchdown in your Mountaineer Field debut will do that to a student-athlete.
Mountaineer fans were not the only spectators floored by the rising redshirt-freshman’s performance. Coach Bill Stewart took notice as well, and said as much postgame.
“He doesn’t care who he plays – he plays,” Stewart said. “That guy brings it.”
Stewart vowed that day to work Roberts into the Mountaineers’ special team’s lineup this coming season – and in turn, Roberts has vowed to not only compete, but go above the necessary off-season work in order to see his coach’s promise through.
“Right now, I’m trying to get stronger and faster, just like everyone else on the team,” Roberts said last week. “There are days where I’ll lift at the Puskar Center, then go to the (WVU Student) Rec Center and do extra workouts.
“I’m just trying to help the team any way I can.”
Strong sentiments for an in-state product. The pride of Madison’s Scott High, Roberts was a highly regarded high school running back both within West Virginia and the surrounding region, not only winning the Kennedy Award as the state’s best player, but also accepting an invitation to play in the 2008 North-South Game.
With his many high school accolades and enviable statistics, Roberts transitioned to the WVU football program as an invited walk-on. Yet, his first season with the Mountaineers was slow, as he was given a redshirt and forced to watch the action from the sidelines.
“It’s hard to just sit there, and watch everyone else play,” Roberts reflected. “That redshirt year, you have to try and get better. You can’t slack off – you have to learn the plays. You have to push yourself in practice.
“It’s just a year of maturing and getting better. That experience definitely turned me in to a better running back and a better player.”
His breakout Gold-Blue performance culminated a redshirt season that saw Roberts go through both a position change - from defensive back to running back - and a body makeover.
Roberts arrived in Morgantown at 218 pounds – a solid build for a strong ball runner. Yet, with the Mountaineer coaches first pegging him as a run-stopper, Roberts was plagued with the unenviable task of dropping weight. Though difficult, he managed to lose almost 20 pounds, measuring in at a low 199 when the orders came in for him to switch ball sides and lineup behind the quarterback.
As hard as it is to imagine, Roberts maintains that is much more difficult to gain the weight back.
“I can’t eat cookies. I can’t eat bread. I can’t eat granola bars or cereal,” he explained through laughter. “On certain days, I can eat whatever I want, but most days, I’m not supposed to eat any breads or pastas. The days that I have to stay on my diet, I’m really just eating eggs and vegetables.”
Helping Roberts bulk up is director of strength and conditioning, Mike Joseph, and rookie coach Bryan Fitzpatrick, WVU’s new coordinator of speed and skill development. Roberts says the one-on-one time he has spent with both coaches throughout this summer is priceless, especially when it comes to motivation.
Roberts credits Fitzpatrick with helping him build the strength necessary to push for offensive playing time.
“Bryan’s worked on my running form with me. Also, when I lift, he pushes me. He doesn’t give me a break,” Roberts said. “He is trying to build my stamina as I lift weights.”
Stamina that will no doubt help Roberts with his ultimate goal for the upcoming season – to help the Mountaineers win by any means necessary.
“I’m working hard during this off-season. I’m trying to get better, not just for myself but for the team, too,” said Roberts. “I’m always trying to help the team out. And, I’m just trying to play.”
As it stands now, Roberts should make good on Coach Stewart’s post-spring game promise, cracking the special team’s lineup at some point this year – a much needed help for a kickoff unit that at times struggled in 2008. Roberts’ bulked up physique, combined with his tackling strength and speed, make him the perfect fit to bust the wedge and run down ball carriers.
“He brings toughness. He has great resolve,” Steward said of Roberts in April. “He is the type of kid that doesn’t know he isn’t supposed to play.”
With the work he has put in this offseason, and the tenacity he plans to bring with him to fall camp this August, Roberts exudes the confidence necessary to make waves these next four years. Step-by-step, Roberts plans to see his state’s flagship program back to the top.
“I’m just trying to help the offense and the team this season,” he said. “We’re trying to win the Big East this year, and then we’ll take it from there.”
