Friday, September 06, 2002
UK's Robertson plans to dominate opponents
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky defensive coordinator John Goodner has been around a handful of can't-miss players in more than 20 years of college coaching.
Dewayne Robertson, the Wildcats' 6-foot-3, 315-pound monster defensive tackle, could be the best of the bunch.
“Dewayne can be as good as he wants to be, the best defensive lineman in the country if he stays healthy,” said Goodner, who coached NFL veterans Santana Dotson and Daryl Gardener at Baylor.
Robertson, a four-year starter at Melrose High School in Memphis, Tenn., is a man of few words. Ask him about his goals for the 2002 season, however, and he has plenty to say.
“I want to dominate, period,” the junior says matter-of-factly. “I want to be a great player at the next level. To do that, I've got to dominate at this level.”
Robertson had only two tackles in the Wildcats' 22-17 upset victory over Louisville but was a constant presence in the backfield despite being double- or triple-teamed on nearly every play. He hopes to be more involved in the team's home opener against Texas El Paso on Saturday.
“I know I'm going to get a lot of attention this season,” Robertson said during the team's media day session. “That's fine. If they want to key on me, that's going to open things up for the rest of the defense.”
Robertson started all 11 games during his freshman year, teaming with Jeremy Caudill to become one of the best young tackle tandems in the Southeastern Conference.
He finished with 40 tackles, including 13 1/2 for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles.
Two of those forced fumbles led to touchdowns in Kentucky's 41-34 victory over Indiana. Against Mississippi State, he picked off an errant pass and rumbled nine yards to key another scoring drive.
“There's no way a guy that big should be able to do some of the things he does,” senior linebacker Ronnie Riley said. “You may not see it during a game, but when you go back and look at the film, there's always a few times you'll see something he did and go, "Wow.”'
Robertson always has been extraordinarily quick and agile despite his size.
He ran a 4.82 40-yard dash at a camp at Auburn during his junior year of high school. He entered Kentucky's strength and conditioning program his freshman year already able to bench press 440 pounds.
“He's got all the tools — size, speed, strength, agility — but he's also got the intangibles that make a player special, things like character and heart and work ethic,” Goodner said.
“He makes every single player around him better because of his presence and playmaking ability. When he's on the field, we're a different football team.”
Kentucky coach Guy Morriss sees big things for Robertson this season, a fact that could actually hurt his team in the long run.
“It's a two-edged sword,” Morriss said. “We want him to have a great year and we need him to play really well for us to be successful. But if he does that, he's probably going to come out early.”
Morriss and Goodner are counting on Robertson to anchor an improved Kentucky defensive unit if he can stay healthy, one trick he was unable to perform last season.
He made 10 tackles in last year's season opener against Louisville but sprained an ankle in the team's second game against Ball State, an injury that hampered him the rest of the season.
He started nine games but finished the year with only 26 tackles and one sack, prompting speculation about his durability.
“(The injury) just limited some of the things I do well,” he said. “I know I've got a lot to prove this season, first off that I can stay healthy the entire year.
“I can't wait to get back out there and show people exactly what I can do at 100 percent.”
That scary prospect may have some opposing offensive coordinators tweaking their game plans when they face the Wildcats, Goodner said.
“He's itching to get back out there, I know that,” Goodner said. “He probably isn't listed among some of the nation's best players because the injury slowed him last season. But all those people who don't know a lot about Dewayne right now are going to know about him real soon.”
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UK's Robertson plans to dominate opponents
