Travian Robertson Bringing Intensity To Gamecocks' D-Line
After spending over a decade away from South Carolina's Football program, Travian Robertson received a genuine and legitimate "Welcome Home" in late April. While Robertson was grateful to be able to come back to the college program that made him one of the best interior defensive linemen in the SEC back in his playing days, he hasn't let the emotions of his homecoming linger too long. Shane Beamer didn't just hire Travian to create feel-good stories in the papers; he hired him because he felt he could help make South Carolina's defensive front a feared one.
In the practices I've been able to attend thus far, I've paid close attention to Robertson and how he interacts with his unit, and there's no question that the intensity Robertson played with is still there now as he wears a whistle around his neck. Travian isn't afraid to make his players start over a drill during the position-specific portion of practice if he feels the effort isn't there. Robertson, however, doesn't just yell and scream at his guys. He's more than willing to redemonstrate certain techniques and let young guys make mistakes while allowing them to learn from it.
Shane Beamer has already stated that he's been stopped by one player this Summer who told him he "got the right guy" hiring Robertson. On Thursday, veteran defensive tackle Alex "Boogie" Huntley echoed those same sentiments when asked what it was like to be coached by the Gamecock alum.
"I love it," Huntley said without hesitation. "He's been in these South Carolina seats, he's been in the NFL seats. He knows the path, he knows what it takes. So he kinda brings that intensity to practice everyday, and it helps us a lot because he knows what he had to do and what others have to do to get there, so he tells us, he helps us with it, he shows us how, so it helps tremendously."
The fact that Travian has already gotten buy-in from one of the veterans in his position group speaks volumes, in my opinion. Of course, you want that buy-in to permeate throughout the unit, but once the veterans believe in what you're doing, they'll typically make sure the rest of the players get in line and buy in not long after. This kind of buy-in could be what helps this unit change its perception and help the defense improve in 2023.
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