2012 NFL Draft: South Carolina Defensive Tackle Travian Robertson
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Travian Robertson is a thick, stocky defensive tackle from the University of South Carolina. At February’s NFL combine he measured in at 6’4” and 302 pounds.
He is as disruptive along the interior of the defense as he is against a lineman, with a solid build and good strength. He is projected to be a nose tackle or a three technique at the NFL level.
At South Carolina, Robertson was the anchor of an elite defensive line that will represent the Gamecocks in the 2012 NFL Draft. Robertson was also invited to the East-West Shrine game.
I talked to Robertson right before the South Carolina pro day. The first thing I wanted to know was what it was like to play in the SEC at South Carolina. He said “It was very intense. With SEC football you never know what you are going to get, as far as what team you are playing.” He continued, “there is great talent and great coaches, but I enjoyed it.”
He said he knew going in it would be tough but he was ready for it. “SEC football makes a man out of you, if you aren’t already a man. It’s a tough league to play in.”
I asked if there was a player or an offensive line in particular that was tough for him. He said “Every offensive line and lineman was pretty good in the SEC. I don’t think that I played against an offensive line in the SEC that wasn’t greatly talented.”
I asked him what his most memorable moment was as a college football player. He said “This past season when we won the most games that any South Carolina team has ever won when we beat Nebraska.”
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
He said that they struggled early on but “As the years went on we picked it up more and more” and “we had goal and we reached it.” He takes pride knowing that his name will be remembered there for awhile because of the victory.
He was invited to the combine and we talked about it and the process. He said “it was different but it was a great experience.” He said the medicals were really long but he understands that teams have to find out as much as they can about a player. He just took it as something he had to do.
I asked him if there were guys he met at the combine that he got to know and became friendly with. He told me that he pretty much knew them all already or was familiar with them, but he was fired up to meet Warren Sapp. “He was a great defensive tackle and I love the way he played. He is a guy I met and I was honored to meet him.”
We talked about the NFL and his future there. He knows there are things he needs to work on but he is willing to put in the work. I asked him what he could offer to the team that drafted him. He said “I have a lot to offer. I am a very loyal guy and I'm a great team guy so I will come to work every day.”
He said that he was “going to be focused on and off the field and I will do whatever I can to help the team win Super Bowls.” He told me he was going to do whatever a team needs him to do. “I know the main goal for each team is to win a Super Bowl and win as many games as possible, so I'm going to do my part to win the Super Bowls.”
He is a versatile defensive lineman as he has played all across the defensive line. He has played nose, three technique (on the outside shoulder of the guard) and five technique (on the outside shoulder of the tackle). He told me his natural position was either nose tackle or as a three technique.
When I asked him what the strength of his game was he told me “I'm a powerful guy, strong. I use my hands and stay low and I can beat double teams.” He said that his tape showed that a lot. He said that at the end of the day, the strength of his game was beating double-teams and stopping the run.
When we talked about the fans of the team that drafts him he said he wanted them to know that they should be prepared to see someone great come along. He said “the fans don't have to worry about me getting in trouble. I'll always be here and just know that I will be loyal to my team.”
“For whatever team I'll be on I'm going to be real loyal to the team and I'll be a very respectful guy to my coaches and all the fans that are out there.” He said that he would proudly represent any team he goes to.
Travian Robertson has a lot of things going for him as he makes the jump from college to professional football. He seems very level-headed and very focused on the task at hand. He is a real solid football player and he is going to be a very good addition to the team drafts him.
link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1121974-2012-nfl-draft-south-carolina-university-defensive-tackle-travian-robertson?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=south-carolina-football
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Travian Robertson is a thick, stocky defensive tackle from the University of South Carolina. At February’s NFL combine he measured in at 6’4” and 302 pounds.
He is as disruptive along the interior of the defense as he is against a lineman, with a solid build and good strength. He is projected to be a nose tackle or a three technique at the NFL level.
At South Carolina, Robertson was the anchor of an elite defensive line that will represent the Gamecocks in the 2012 NFL Draft. Robertson was also invited to the East-West Shrine game.
I talked to Robertson right before the South Carolina pro day. The first thing I wanted to know was what it was like to play in the SEC at South Carolina. He said “It was very intense. With SEC football you never know what you are going to get, as far as what team you are playing.” He continued, “there is great talent and great coaches, but I enjoyed it.”
He said he knew going in it would be tough but he was ready for it. “SEC football makes a man out of you, if you aren’t already a man. It’s a tough league to play in.”
I asked if there was a player or an offensive line in particular that was tough for him. He said “Every offensive line and lineman was pretty good in the SEC. I don’t think that I played against an offensive line in the SEC that wasn’t greatly talented.”
I asked him what his most memorable moment was as a college football player. He said “This past season when we won the most games that any South Carolina team has ever won when we beat Nebraska.”
He said that they struggled early on but “As the years went on we picked it up more and more” and “we had goal and we reached it.” He takes pride knowing that his name will be remembered there for awhile because of the victory.
He was invited to the combine and we talked about it and the process. He said “it was different but it was a great experience.” He said the medicals were really long but he understands that teams have to find out as much as they can about a player. He just took it as something he had to do.
I asked him if there were guys he met at the combine that he got to know and became friendly with. He told me that he pretty much knew them all already or was familiar with them, but he was fired up to meet Warren Sapp. “He was a great defensive tackle and I love the way he played. He is a guy I met and I was honored to meet him.”
We talked about the NFL and his future there. He knows there are things he needs to work on but he is willing to put in the work. I asked him what he could offer to the team that drafted him. He said “I have a lot to offer. I am a very loyal guy and I'm a great team guy so I will come to work every day.”
He said that he was “going to be focused on and off the field and I will do whatever I can to help the team win Super Bowls.” He told me he was going to do whatever a team needs him to do. “I know the main goal for each team is to win a Super Bowl and win as many games as possible, so I'm going to do my part to win the Super Bowls.”
He is a versatile defensive lineman as he has played all across the defensive line. He has played nose, three technique (on the outside shoulder of the guard) and five technique (on the outside shoulder of the tackle). He told me his natural position was either nose tackle or as a three technique.
When I asked him what the strength of his game was he told me “I'm a powerful guy, strong. I use my hands and stay low and I can beat double teams.” He said that his tape showed that a lot. He said that at the end of the day, the strength of his game was beating double-teams and stopping the run.
When we talked about the fans of the team that drafts him he said he wanted them to know that they should be prepared to see someone great come along. He said “the fans don't have to worry about me getting in trouble. I'll always be here and just know that I will be loyal to my team.”
“For whatever team I'll be on I'm going to be real loyal to the team and I'll be a very respectful guy to my coaches and all the fans that are out there.” He said that he would proudly represent any team he goes to.
Travian Robertson has a lot of things going for him as he makes the jump from college to professional football. He seems very level-headed and very focused on the task at hand. He is a real solid football player and he is going to be a very good addition to the team drafts him.
link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1121974-2012-nfl-draft-south-carolina-university-defensive-tackle-travian-robertson?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=south-carolina-football
