Just thought I would talk about some of the things I've been up to over the past few weeks. Been very busy, work-wise, so I've not been able to put out a good thread. A few things:
1. I worked on Arnold Schwarzengger's security detail again this year, and it was once again a great time. I do it with a great bunch of law enforcement guys and we always have fun together. This year, we were joined by JJ Watt. JJ was invited by Arnold to the event and came in with his brother TJ, who is a current rush OLB for Wisconsin in their 3-4 defensive alignment. I was personally assigned with 2 others to run JJ's security team, which he honestly only needed to keep the selfie and Snapchat crowd at bay. He was a great guy to talk football with, and I think he appreciated that I knew my stuff. A few highlights:
Fire away with comments and questions...
KB
1. I worked on Arnold Schwarzengger's security detail again this year, and it was once again a great time. I do it with a great bunch of law enforcement guys and we always have fun together. This year, we were joined by JJ Watt. JJ was invited by Arnold to the event and came in with his brother TJ, who is a current rush OLB for Wisconsin in their 3-4 defensive alignment. I was personally assigned with 2 others to run JJ's security team, which he honestly only needed to keep the selfie and Snapchat crowd at bay. He was a great guy to talk football with, and I think he appreciated that I knew my stuff. A few highlights:
- I asked him about what he studied when he was getting ready for an NFL Offensive Tackle. He talked to me about checking to see if he cheats his foot alignment on running plays versus passing plays (a lot of tackles take deeper staggers on passing plays). He talked about hand placement and seeing what moves had gotten a tackle in trouble in the pass. This was some great stuff, considering he has a fair shot at going down as the best defensive player in NFL history(statistically, anyways).
- He is a big fan of Johnny Simon. I mentioned how I used to open the gym up at 6 am on Sundays for Johnny and we would lift together before going to mass. He laughed and said Johnny never misses a day and often does two-a-days. Same old Johnny haha.
- He also loves having Mike Vrabel on staff. Having a fellow long armed pass rusher like Vrabel can really help from a teaching standpoint, despite the fact that Mike doesn't directly coach JJ (Mike coaches LBs). Mike had a nice array of moves when he would rush for the Patriots, many of which were helped by his arm length. JJ is constantly working his variety of pass rush moves, and his stats show it is working. He also loves learning about winning from a guy who has 3 Super Bowl rings.
- Knowing that he is an avid workout guy, I did ask Mark Pantoni if he would open the gym to JJ. I mentioned it to JJ, who politely declined as if I had offered up a gym in Syria LOL. Old rivalries die hard, even though we have owned them since 2010.
- He is really big on his floatation tank that he had installed in his house. I had never heard of one, but it was a big part of his training regime. Google it and take a look. Looks interesting.
- In closing, he really was a good guy. A bunch of us had dinner with him and a nice spot downtown, and he insisted on grabbing the tab. Granted, I realize he is worth $100m or so, but he didn't need to do that. He then took off on his jet for Wisconsin to watch the UFC fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, which was something that dominated the conversation at dinner. Was a good time.
- The development of our young OL will be the key to our season. Having to break in two new tackles is always a chore, despite the high talent levels of Jamarco and Isaiah. Isaiah's fluidity in his pass set is really a thing of beauty, but he has to get his consistency going in pass protection. He has all of the makings of a high draft pick in 2-3 years. I think having Pat Elflein and Billy Price as leaders of the offense is incredibly valuable. Both are going to have very long NFL careers, and I think Billy will have one of the greatest NFL combines of all time (his bench is obvious, but his speed is special for a kid who goes between 315-320). I like rolling Mike Jordan in at LG and think it sends a big message to both freshmen and upperclassmen in the OL room.
- As Coach Meyer metioned, it is very concerning to be missing the top 4 WRs during spring ball. I think that this will bode very well for Marcus Baugh, and having the OC working at the TEs coach is never a bad thing in terms of dialing up your touches. Findng the X will be the next step, as I am hoping that Noah Brown can be healed up and become the guy we need there. Without a good X, the offense cannot function the way it should.
- The backup QB race has been a huge deal since Coach Meyer took the program over. Our starter has missed time in every single season, so this will bear watching. Coach also is no fan of redshirting at the position, which means we will hopefully get a look at Dewayne Haskins in the first few weeks prior to Norman. The Spring Game will be big for Joe Burrow and Stephen Collier, who will have a chance to make plays while playing behind some makeshift OLs. The Spring Game always yields some awful football, but it is good to see who can play in the Shoe.
- Team MVP: Curtis Samuel (leading rusher)
- Defensive MVP: Sam Hubbard
- Breakout Offense: Jamarco Jones
- Breakout Defense: Malik Hooker
- Best Freshman: Nick Bosa
- NFL Declarees: Curtis Samuel, Raekwon McMillan, Sam Hubbard, Gaeron Conley
Fire away with comments and questions...
KB
