STrib: Gophers new offensive line coach: Everything should be demanding

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Joe:

Miller is 30 years old, but he's already entering his fifth full season as an offensive line coach, starting with the turnaround job at Wisconsin in 2012. Spend five minutes talking to Miller, and you're instantly struck by his intensity. Here's an answer he gave about the mentality he expects for the Gophers offensive linemen:

"It starts with recruiting. It starts with everything they do, the way they live their life. We’re going to train hard. We’re going to practice hard. We're going to study hard, do all those things. You can’t expect to go outside and be a physical hard-nosed player if you don’t live that life.

"So we’re going to work hard. I know they’ve worked hard here in the past, but everything should be demanding. If you look at any elite organization, that’s really the way things are run, from a sports standpoint, all the way through businesses or military. The elite units train the hardest and are the best because they believe that way, and they know they’re prepared so that when game day comes, they’re ready to go. So that’s the mentality moving forward.

"We’re going to hit at practice. We’re going to pad it up and hit every day. And we’re going to go inside drill and be in the cage, and we’re going to live that life. And they’re going to know when they take the field they’re the most physical guy on the field, and they’re going to win. And that’s the mentality they’re going to take on the field."

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...870351/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Go Gophers!!
 


BleedGopher said:
"We’re going to hit at practice. We’re going to pad it up and hit every day. And we’re going to go inside drill and be in the cage, and we’re going to live that life. And they’re going to know when they take the field they’re the most physical guy on the field, and they’re going to win. And that’s the mentality they’re going to take on the field."

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...870351/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it
Go Gophers!!
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Coming off a year where we were plagued by injuries at O line I find this concerning. I think you can differentiate between working hard every day and hitting every day.
 




LakerFan said:
Coming off a year where we were plagued by injuries at O line I find this concerning. I think you can differentiate between working hard every day and hitting every day.
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Later in the article, he cites that this technique of training actually helps with reducing injuries. Miller has a great batting average when it comes to coaching OL, so I trust his word. Change (in attitude, mindset, work-ethic) is a good thing, especially when it comes to OL play.
 


It is critical to have your players as close to 100% healthy on game day as possible and that is going to be unlikely if they are hitting every day in practice. There are ways to have intense workouts that build mental and physical toughness without taking hits all the time. If in fact they do a lot of full pads contact in practice, my guess is that injuries will plague the team.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
It is critical to have your players as close to 100% healthy on game day as possible and that is going to be unlikely if they are hitting every day in practice. There are ways to have intense workouts that build mental and physical toughness without taking hits all the time. If in fact they do a lot of full pads contact in practice, my guess is that injuries will plague the team.
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They only had 2 full-contact practices in Fall Camp and were still plagued with injuries, so what's the difference? I'm ready for this OL to make a change in identity and establish a little dominance on the LOS. Trying something new is a good thing.
 




Hitting everyday in practice doesn't necessarily mean full contact, I guessing more old school, blocking dummies and blocking sleds. Teach a technique and practice it until it's done right every time.
 

nsmike said:
Hitting everyday in practice doesn't necessarily mean full contact, I guessing more old school, blocking dummies and blocking sleds. Teach a technique and practice it until it's done right every time.
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Thank you...as a former offensive lineman with a hard ass coach, I can attest that hitting every day (different than full contact) makes you a better lineman, with better technique and less likely to be injured. Totally different than QB, RB, WR and even Dline. Technique and meanness can make up a lot of ground against a softer but more talented player. Lot of pussies on the dline that don't like getting hit.
 

jonnyganas said:
They only had 2 full-contact practices in Fall Camp and were still plagued with injuries, so what's the difference? I'm ready for this OL to make a change in identity and establish a little dominance on the LOS. Trying something new is a good thing.
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What do you mean by full contact...game speed /game situation ?
 



nsmike said:
Hitting everyday in practice doesn't necessarily mean full contact, I guessing more old school, blocking dummies and blocking sleds. Teach a technique and practice it until it's done right every time.
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Much merit to this.
 

I think this is a great thing. We need to be maulers in the trenches. We have not been that way in past. This is how you become conference contenders instead of middle of the pack.
 

Remember Richardson was injured in a non-contact drill. It was just that kind of year for us and injuries.
 

Everything Should Be Demanding

Bart Miller interview from Joe Christensen.

"It starts with recruiting. It starts with everything they do, the way they live their life. We’re going to train hard. We’re going to practice hard. We're going to study hard, do all those things. You can’t expect to go outside and be a physical hard-nosed player if you don’t live that life."


http://www.startribune.com/gophers-new-o-line-coach-everything-should-be-demanding/364870351/
 


I'm inspired! I want to suit up-any more walk-on openings? I believe in this philosophy and whether you have contact or no contact, injuries are going to occur-it's part of the game. BUT it does start with the mind and if the players are not mentally tough, then they're at a disadvantage right at the beginning IMHO
 

Have we now deducted that our OL was not "mentally tough" before?
 

Spoofin said:
Have we now deducted that our OL was not "mentally tough" before?
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Not really, I think our OL was mentally tough (I mean we had a lot of non-starters playing by the end of the season), since they were able to pull back the reigns and not completely collapse for the entire season. There is a difference between being mentally tough, and being mentally tough and having the mindset to make that apply everywhere, Practice, Academics, Gamedays, etc. At least I think there is. He knows that we have mentally tough players, but he's setting a precedent. He's saying "You want to play under me, you have to prove you have the mental toughness throughout you life, not just on the field during games." Plus, having that mindset in practice and academics makes it easier to power through when stuff gets extremely tough. It makes it harder for your mind to give up when you're losing.

At least, that's what I think.
 

Difference

DrinoneMays9 said:
I thought Les Steckel retired years ago!?
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Les Steckel was demanding but he didn't teach football. He did conditioning for conditioning not drills with demanding interval intensity critiqued to perfect your craft or technique. Huge difference.
 

Spoofin said:
Have we now deducted that our OL was not "mentally tough" before?
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Mindset and leaders...we were absolutely mentally tougher with Epping imposing his will on teammates.
 

60's Guy said:
Mindset and leaders...we were absolutely mentally tougher with Epping imposing his will on teammates.
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I think Epping is the prototype for the type of player Coach Miller wants.
 

nsmike said:
I think Epping is the prototype for the type of player Coach Miller wants.
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I think that is correct. Epping was great, out there every week and the guy he was playing against would be exhausted and beat up at the end of the game.
Nothing in this quote implies they will be having full contact practices daily against the defense. We don't have enough dlinemen to survive that if Bart wanted to but he can still have contact everyday and insist on aggressive practice effort. As for the cage, it has to be a son of a gun for kids this tall, but it should emphasize getting low into blocks.
 

I would love a line of Zac Eppings
 


The Leader of this offensive line is Tyler Moore. He won the poll. He has demonstrated the traits Coach Miller is looking for. As leader he daily demonstrates what it takes, what it looks like, what it takes. I think Moore is the type of player who would grab a fellow players facemask in the huddle and shake it to make a point. He plays with an edge and is nasty.
 

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