knapplc
International Man of Mystery
I've watched with interest all the talk this year about Nebraska's woeful S&C program, and the heat leveled at Dobson and his staff. When staff changes are mentioned, Dobson's name often tops the list of "guys who need to go."
Here's a look at how the sentiment toward Dobson has evolved in Dobson's tenure:
From a thread in January, 2009 titled "Dobson and Workouts" started by skerrugby:
HuskerTrucker-
This is Nebraska football getting back to what it used to be. BC didn't take conditioning seriously, and it was showing. I think it will definitely help on the offensive line, and won't hurt the defensive line either for that matter.
bbhusker-
It seems to me on the outside looking in (not that I'm an expert) that this staff is doing everything right. I see this team turning the proverbial "corner" within the next season or two. I agree with Damon Benning from his interview that was posted in the last couple of days, about seeing this team appearing much faster next season.
caveman99-
He came from Iowa whose Strength Coach is known nationally. Bo brought him in last year as a part of the new staff, Bo and Co. want leaner and faster players that are still strong as oxes. Dob's did some great work last offseason getting the players trimmed down and into shape. Dillard lost like 30-40 lbs. Team got noticeably faster and had more stamina. So far he seems like a great pick up for Bo.
BigWillie-
Honestly, I think Dobson may be scarier for some of those guys than Pelini is. You walk into that weight room and it's a no nonsense work environment. Do not even attempt to cross Dobson or he will be all over a player.
From a thread in January, 2010 titled "Strength and Conditioning," started by yours truly:
knapplc-
The players appear faster and stronger, and overall a lot better able to compete in the Big XII where speed is at a premium and brute strength often means you're getting left in the dust. So far, Dobson has exceeded my expectations.
Mr. Accountability-
That attitude that Bo brought back was the one of the 90's when "voluntary" off-season workouts were not voluntary because of guys like the Peters, Wistrom and so on. It may have been voluntary according to coaches, but is was a requirement to your teammates. That's leadership, and it's back.
I See Red People-
Teams that are well conditioned play their best in the 4th quarter. We saw that from the huskers this season.
manitobahusker-
i love how when its in the 4th quarter our guys are still going 100% not taking a play off!!
From a thread in February, 2010 titled "Conversation with Boyd Eply" started by T_O_Bull:
Nexus-
(A quote from an article by HuskerMike on SBNation)
Epley likes the direction James Dobson is moving the strength program at Nebraska, even though he wasn't familiar with Dobson before he arrived at Nebraska:
"I think he's young and energetic. His philosophy is very good. It looks like Nebraska is back on track ..."
From a thread in July, 2010 titled, "Hey James Dobson, Thanks!" started by IceMan:
IceMan-
Mr. James Dobson,
I don't know if I'll ever get to meet you and thank you personally but with the power of the Huskerboard I know it will get to you!! So as a dedicated fan I just want to say THANKS The strides our Team has made in Strength, Conditioning and Speed is more then evident on the field!
SkerChicago-
Agreed. Here's to the best strength coach in the business!
knapplc-
Coach Dobson has these guys fit, strong, and rarin' to go. Here's a pretty important blurb showing his bona fides from Huskers.com:
From a thread in March, 2011 titled "How Great is Dobson" started by bball_backer:
bball_backer-
We've all seen the video of Suh on Sports Science and remember all the talk about how explosive, powerful and quick he was.
They just did a segment on the Combine about Prince. He was wearing a special Under Armor shirt that measured g's guys produced in their workouts. Prince produced more g's on his 40 than any other guy, including receivers that were running low 4.3s. Dobson does an amazing job with these guys.
Husker Richard-
I love what Dobson has done with our team. He knows how to add lean mass without sacrificing speed, in some cases the guys get faster (think Helu). He excels at taking high schoolers and helping them grow into their frames.
n.e.husker-
Seriously, very happy with what Dobson has done for this team thus far. We are fortunate to have him on our side.
zoogies-
A little healthy skepticism is good, but I think Dobson has more than lived up to the hype when he arrived. Probably the best hire after Bo that was made that offseason. It was a real turnaround.
UGAHusker-
Perfect. I agree with this, but will remain a "healthy skeptic" until year 4 or 5 rolls around. [this is in reply to zoogies' post above]
nuance-<p class="blockquote">
This from Rittenburg's blog. LINK
I'm not sayin you can attribute these solely to Dobson. But I get the impression Dobs has our guys in pretty good shape.
And from a thread in March, 2012 titled, "James Dobson is being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach" by huskercat:
huskercat-
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska football strength coach James Dobsonis being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
Dobson and 14 other strength coaches will be honored at the association's national conference next Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
http://www.therepubl...Strength-Coach/
Chaddyboxer-
He's a good size guy...funny thing is, it looks like he use to be BIGGER. I find hilarity in the fact that people complain that we don't have the best athletes out there because they aren't being developed. Here are some counter-claims to that argument: 1.) Take a look at Suh, Amukamara, Fonzie, Helu, and Kinnie just to name a few. People should take a look at their highschool senior pictures and compare the physical development that has occurred. 2.) It is not necessarily a lack of physical development of why some of the players are being out-performed in games, it's straight up lack of talent. Nebraska needs to improve on the recruiting front and I believe the program is headed in the right direction. If Neb lands more talented players with physical potential, I believe NEB has the tools to bring out some of the best physical aspects in these players, hence the evidence already stated. I've heard from time to time that NEB players who perform in the NFL combine end up displaying great physical attributes such as strength, agility, and overall conditioning. Now, Marcel Jones is definitely an exception. I believe that has to do more with personal accountability. These coaches can't babysit every single player and make sure they are bustin their butts in the gym. Marcel Jones bench press reps at the combine were pathetic. Period. However, this doesn't necessarily measure overall physical performance on the field.
So, there's years of praise for Dobson and the S&C program. Some concerns noted, and some folks playing the wait-and-see game there. Perhaps one of the most telling lines in those above quotes is the very last section of the very last quote, from a year and a half ago, by Chaddyboxer: "Now, Marcel Jones is definitely an exception. I believe that has to do more with personal accountability. These coaches can't babysit every single player and make sure they are bustin their butts in the gym. Marcel Jones bench press reps at the combine were pathetic. Period. However, this doesn't necessarily measure overall physical performance on the field."
That sounds an awful lot like the conversations we're having today about the guys in the weight room.
Around that point, sometime in 2012, the conversation about Dobson started to change. This below is probably the last of the "praise Dobson" threads...
From a thread titled "Dobson was at Big Red Dinner Tonight" by Bradr:
Bradr-
I attended the big red dinner this evening with Dobson as the special guest. Was pretty informative about the strength, conditioning, and nutritional aspects of the program.
Lots of talk on how they are building football players, not sprinters, lifters, etc. That football players have a very specific set of needs that translate into a very specific type of workout. Power, acceleration, etc.
They are doing lots of work on football specific drills. Sounds like emphasis on 4-8 seconds high intensity work, with 20 seconds of rest, repeated over the course of 60 minutes - very similar to typical game conditions. He sounded like they are really focusing on game management and speed offense, with the goal of being better conditioned and wearing out the other team.
Said that they place very low emphasis on 40 yard dash, bench, etc. That they do not feel that the "combine" exercises translate into good football players. He did say that they emphasize the olympic power lifts. He talked about strength vs power, and that a person could have a monstrous bench, but not be as powerful in the exertion of force. And that they were developing that power and speed.
Dobson said that the new director of nutrition is very popular with the players. The players had seen very good results when listening to his advice, and actually petitioned the athletic department to hire him.
He mentioned that player camaraderie was high and that even a lot of ex-players were coming back to work out.
TonyStalloni-
Dobson's input seems to be one more piece of the puzzle to getting the Huskers where they want to be. Another glass of Kool Aid please!
And now the conversation starts to turn.
From a thread in October, 2012 titled "What about the strength and conditioning program?" by pctopeka:
pctopeka-
After Pederson and Callahan shelved Epley, there has been as steady decline in the physical prowess and strength of Nebraska's players. Players rarely seem to get physically better during their time at Nebraska. Injuries have seemed to increase in both their frequency and severity. Now Nebraska's players get pushed around by the opposing players. Even South Dakota State's offensive line blew open big holes a couple of years ago...
The telling facts of this decline show up in the combine each year. Excluding Suh, who is not a human being, Nebraska's players consistently show poorly in the strength phase of the combine. For example, Nebraska's top NFL offensive line prospect last year, Marcel Jones, benched 225 a grand total of 13 reps. Hell, I'm 55 and still push 225 8-9 times! Lavonte David didn't do much better...Dennard didn't lift. Crick can be excused, as he had a torn pec. The players in the 2011 combine fared no better.
Perhaps Nebraska should look to revamping the conditioning program, rather than looking at the head coach, coordinators or position coaches...
beanman-
Can't argue with you there. Some of our players are flat our slow and not explosive. We've got some on the offensive side of the ball that are pretty good though.
mortes_catapult-
I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.
pctopeka-
The real problem may not be in the precise formulation of exercises, sets and reps...it may be in the effort expended by the players themselves.
HuskerShark-
OP, Dobson is a nationally respected strength and conditioning coach. Worry about other things, buddy. Like the defense.
The Dude- (in reply to HuskerShark's post above)
Bo Pelini is a nationally respected defensive football coach. That doesn't mean he's without fault.
Getting to the more recent days, so I'm going to stop quoting here soon. Everyone knows the current trend of this conversation. The last thread I'll reference, from December, 2012 titled "Dobson" started by tclhuskerfan"
tclhuskerfan-
I think Dobson is out of his league. I know that this isn't the 70's, 80's and even 90's where we had a distinct advantage in facitlities, but does it look like we are slower, weaker and less athletic than most of the teams that we play considering all 22 starters on both sides of the ball? Recruiting is a large piece of that puzzle, but do you see a lot of guys developing athletically year after year?
Landlord of Memorial Stadium-
Selective memory. We've worn down almost every single team we've played this season and imposed our will in the second half, along with consistently having great success running the football on the edges of the field (where speed matters).
beanman-
For what it's worth, Damon Benning on big red overreaction is questioning our conditioning big time. They looked completely worn out at Ohio State as well. I'm not impressed with our endurance or explosiveness in our linebackers and linemen. The skill guys all look good.
NOTE - contrast this comment from Benning with his comments in the very first thread I quoted in this topic, from January, 2009.
tclhuskerfan-
I'd argue that the reason we came back in the end has more to do with talent than Strength and Conditioning. We stopped making mistakes. We have more talen in the skill positions than the teams that we beat. We recruited the talent, didn't develop it in the trenches where we used to take that for granted.
LumberJackSker-
maybe some of the players just arent very good sometimes their isnt a weight room or a trainer in the world that fix that
Nebula-
Dobson ain't the problem.
Slow LBs and middling line play are our biggest hindrances. Not a hell of a lot Dobson can do to make Whaley be not slow, or make PJ Smith learn how to tackle.
We need higher caliber athletes in the trenches and at LB. As far as the LBs go, we might have done with last year's class and Santos the year prior. D-Line is another story. I see potential for some mediocre play out of that unit again next year. Martin was the only disruptive guy we had, really.
LumberJackSker-
Dobson can only do so much with what he's got, yes our linebackers and defensive ends are slow as molasses but there isnt enough training in the world thats gonna make whaley fast
So there's the arc of conversation about Dobson. He's great, we're happy to have him, he's winning awards, things aren't working out like we thought, our players are slow, we're getting whipped in the trenches, we're gassed in the fourth quarter, Dobson has to go.
Pretty interesting ride. It'll be interesting to see how the conversation evolves in the next year or two with the better athletes we have on defense. If there isn't improvement over the next year or two, the Dobson Conversation could be relegated to the history books.
Here's a look at how the sentiment toward Dobson has evolved in Dobson's tenure:
From a thread in January, 2009 titled "Dobson and Workouts" started by skerrugby:
HuskerTrucker-
This is Nebraska football getting back to what it used to be. BC didn't take conditioning seriously, and it was showing. I think it will definitely help on the offensive line, and won't hurt the defensive line either for that matter.
bbhusker-
It seems to me on the outside looking in (not that I'm an expert) that this staff is doing everything right. I see this team turning the proverbial "corner" within the next season or two. I agree with Damon Benning from his interview that was posted in the last couple of days, about seeing this team appearing much faster next season.
caveman99-
He came from Iowa whose Strength Coach is known nationally. Bo brought him in last year as a part of the new staff, Bo and Co. want leaner and faster players that are still strong as oxes. Dob's did some great work last offseason getting the players trimmed down and into shape. Dillard lost like 30-40 lbs. Team got noticeably faster and had more stamina. So far he seems like a great pick up for Bo.
BigWillie-
Honestly, I think Dobson may be scarier for some of those guys than Pelini is. You walk into that weight room and it's a no nonsense work environment. Do not even attempt to cross Dobson or he will be all over a player.
From a thread in January, 2010 titled "Strength and Conditioning," started by yours truly:
knapplc-
The players appear faster and stronger, and overall a lot better able to compete in the Big XII where speed is at a premium and brute strength often means you're getting left in the dust. So far, Dobson has exceeded my expectations.
Mr. Accountability-
That attitude that Bo brought back was the one of the 90's when "voluntary" off-season workouts were not voluntary because of guys like the Peters, Wistrom and so on. It may have been voluntary according to coaches, but is was a requirement to your teammates. That's leadership, and it's back.
I See Red People-
Teams that are well conditioned play their best in the 4th quarter. We saw that from the huskers this season.
manitobahusker-
i love how when its in the 4th quarter our guys are still going 100% not taking a play off!!
From a thread in February, 2010 titled "Conversation with Boyd Eply" started by T_O_Bull:
Nexus-
(A quote from an article by HuskerMike on SBNation)
Epley likes the direction James Dobson is moving the strength program at Nebraska, even though he wasn't familiar with Dobson before he arrived at Nebraska:
"I think he's young and energetic. His philosophy is very good. It looks like Nebraska is back on track ..."
From a thread in July, 2010 titled, "Hey James Dobson, Thanks!" started by IceMan:
IceMan-
Mr. James Dobson,
I don't know if I'll ever get to meet you and thank you personally but with the power of the Huskerboard I know it will get to you!! So as a dedicated fan I just want to say THANKS The strides our Team has made in Strength, Conditioning and Speed is more then evident on the field!
SkerChicago-
Agreed. Here's to the best strength coach in the business!
knapplc-
Coach Dobson has these guys fit, strong, and rarin' to go. Here's a pretty important blurb showing his bona fides from Huskers.com:
From a thread in March, 2011 titled "How Great is Dobson" started by bball_backer:
bball_backer-
We've all seen the video of Suh on Sports Science and remember all the talk about how explosive, powerful and quick he was.
They just did a segment on the Combine about Prince. He was wearing a special Under Armor shirt that measured g's guys produced in their workouts. Prince produced more g's on his 40 than any other guy, including receivers that were running low 4.3s. Dobson does an amazing job with these guys.
Husker Richard-
I love what Dobson has done with our team. He knows how to add lean mass without sacrificing speed, in some cases the guys get faster (think Helu). He excels at taking high schoolers and helping them grow into their frames.
n.e.husker-
Seriously, very happy with what Dobson has done for this team thus far. We are fortunate to have him on our side.
zoogies-
A little healthy skepticism is good, but I think Dobson has more than lived up to the hype when he arrived. Probably the best hire after Bo that was made that offseason. It was a real turnaround.
UGAHusker-
Perfect. I agree with this, but will remain a "healthy skeptic" until year 4 or 5 rolls around. [this is in reply to zoogies' post above]
nuance-<p class="blockquote">
- Nebraska's Niles Paul finished second in bench-press reps (225 pounds) with 24
- Paul tied for 14th in the 40-yard dash at 4.51 seconds
- Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. finished sixth in the 40-yard dash at 4.42 seconds; Ohio State's Brandon Saine finished seventh at 4.43 seconds;
- Helu finished second in the 3-cone drill at 6.67 seconds; Leshoure finished sixth at 6.82 seconds
- Helu finished first in the 20-yard shuttle at 4.01 seconds; Penn State's Evan Royster tied for eighth at 4.18 seconds
- Helu finished first in the 60-yard shuttle at 11.07 seconds
This from Rittenburg's blog. LINK
I'm not sayin you can attribute these solely to Dobson. But I get the impression Dobs has our guys in pretty good shape.
And from a thread in March, 2012 titled, "James Dobson is being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach" by huskercat:
huskercat-
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska football strength coach James Dobsonis being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
Dobson and 14 other strength coaches will be honored at the association's national conference next Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
http://www.therepubl...Strength-Coach/
Chaddyboxer-
He's a good size guy...funny thing is, it looks like he use to be BIGGER. I find hilarity in the fact that people complain that we don't have the best athletes out there because they aren't being developed. Here are some counter-claims to that argument: 1.) Take a look at Suh, Amukamara, Fonzie, Helu, and Kinnie just to name a few. People should take a look at their highschool senior pictures and compare the physical development that has occurred. 2.) It is not necessarily a lack of physical development of why some of the players are being out-performed in games, it's straight up lack of talent. Nebraska needs to improve on the recruiting front and I believe the program is headed in the right direction. If Neb lands more talented players with physical potential, I believe NEB has the tools to bring out some of the best physical aspects in these players, hence the evidence already stated. I've heard from time to time that NEB players who perform in the NFL combine end up displaying great physical attributes such as strength, agility, and overall conditioning. Now, Marcel Jones is definitely an exception. I believe that has to do more with personal accountability. These coaches can't babysit every single player and make sure they are bustin their butts in the gym. Marcel Jones bench press reps at the combine were pathetic. Period. However, this doesn't necessarily measure overall physical performance on the field.
So, there's years of praise for Dobson and the S&C program. Some concerns noted, and some folks playing the wait-and-see game there. Perhaps one of the most telling lines in those above quotes is the very last section of the very last quote, from a year and a half ago, by Chaddyboxer: "Now, Marcel Jones is definitely an exception. I believe that has to do more with personal accountability. These coaches can't babysit every single player and make sure they are bustin their butts in the gym. Marcel Jones bench press reps at the combine were pathetic. Period. However, this doesn't necessarily measure overall physical performance on the field."
That sounds an awful lot like the conversations we're having today about the guys in the weight room.
Around that point, sometime in 2012, the conversation about Dobson started to change. This below is probably the last of the "praise Dobson" threads...
From a thread titled "Dobson was at Big Red Dinner Tonight" by Bradr:
Bradr-
I attended the big red dinner this evening with Dobson as the special guest. Was pretty informative about the strength, conditioning, and nutritional aspects of the program.
Lots of talk on how they are building football players, not sprinters, lifters, etc. That football players have a very specific set of needs that translate into a very specific type of workout. Power, acceleration, etc.
They are doing lots of work on football specific drills. Sounds like emphasis on 4-8 seconds high intensity work, with 20 seconds of rest, repeated over the course of 60 minutes - very similar to typical game conditions. He sounded like they are really focusing on game management and speed offense, with the goal of being better conditioned and wearing out the other team.
Said that they place very low emphasis on 40 yard dash, bench, etc. That they do not feel that the "combine" exercises translate into good football players. He did say that they emphasize the olympic power lifts. He talked about strength vs power, and that a person could have a monstrous bench, but not be as powerful in the exertion of force. And that they were developing that power and speed.
Dobson said that the new director of nutrition is very popular with the players. The players had seen very good results when listening to his advice, and actually petitioned the athletic department to hire him.
He mentioned that player camaraderie was high and that even a lot of ex-players were coming back to work out.
TonyStalloni-
Dobson's input seems to be one more piece of the puzzle to getting the Huskers where they want to be. Another glass of Kool Aid please!
And now the conversation starts to turn.
From a thread in October, 2012 titled "What about the strength and conditioning program?" by pctopeka:
pctopeka-
After Pederson and Callahan shelved Epley, there has been as steady decline in the physical prowess and strength of Nebraska's players. Players rarely seem to get physically better during their time at Nebraska. Injuries have seemed to increase in both their frequency and severity. Now Nebraska's players get pushed around by the opposing players. Even South Dakota State's offensive line blew open big holes a couple of years ago...
The telling facts of this decline show up in the combine each year. Excluding Suh, who is not a human being, Nebraska's players consistently show poorly in the strength phase of the combine. For example, Nebraska's top NFL offensive line prospect last year, Marcel Jones, benched 225 a grand total of 13 reps. Hell, I'm 55 and still push 225 8-9 times! Lavonte David didn't do much better...Dennard didn't lift. Crick can be excused, as he had a torn pec. The players in the 2011 combine fared no better.
Perhaps Nebraska should look to revamping the conditioning program, rather than looking at the head coach, coordinators or position coaches...
beanman-
Can't argue with you there. Some of our players are flat our slow and not explosive. We've got some on the offensive side of the ball that are pretty good though.
mortes_catapult-
I think Coach Dobson & staff are on the right track,the real problem is staffs around the country are copying the Nebraska bluebrint for strength & speed training.The hope is,per the video on thisisnebraska.com,that the strength staff is developing new things to give Nebraska back that edge.
pctopeka-
The real problem may not be in the precise formulation of exercises, sets and reps...it may be in the effort expended by the players themselves.
HuskerShark-
OP, Dobson is a nationally respected strength and conditioning coach. Worry about other things, buddy. Like the defense.
The Dude- (in reply to HuskerShark's post above)
Bo Pelini is a nationally respected defensive football coach. That doesn't mean he's without fault.
Getting to the more recent days, so I'm going to stop quoting here soon. Everyone knows the current trend of this conversation. The last thread I'll reference, from December, 2012 titled "Dobson" started by tclhuskerfan"
tclhuskerfan-
I think Dobson is out of his league. I know that this isn't the 70's, 80's and even 90's where we had a distinct advantage in facitlities, but does it look like we are slower, weaker and less athletic than most of the teams that we play considering all 22 starters on both sides of the ball? Recruiting is a large piece of that puzzle, but do you see a lot of guys developing athletically year after year?
Landlord of Memorial Stadium-
Selective memory. We've worn down almost every single team we've played this season and imposed our will in the second half, along with consistently having great success running the football on the edges of the field (where speed matters).
beanman-
For what it's worth, Damon Benning on big red overreaction is questioning our conditioning big time. They looked completely worn out at Ohio State as well. I'm not impressed with our endurance or explosiveness in our linebackers and linemen. The skill guys all look good.
NOTE - contrast this comment from Benning with his comments in the very first thread I quoted in this topic, from January, 2009.
tclhuskerfan-
I'd argue that the reason we came back in the end has more to do with talent than Strength and Conditioning. We stopped making mistakes. We have more talen in the skill positions than the teams that we beat. We recruited the talent, didn't develop it in the trenches where we used to take that for granted.
LumberJackSker-
maybe some of the players just arent very good sometimes their isnt a weight room or a trainer in the world that fix that
Nebula-
Dobson ain't the problem.
Slow LBs and middling line play are our biggest hindrances. Not a hell of a lot Dobson can do to make Whaley be not slow, or make PJ Smith learn how to tackle.
We need higher caliber athletes in the trenches and at LB. As far as the LBs go, we might have done with last year's class and Santos the year prior. D-Line is another story. I see potential for some mediocre play out of that unit again next year. Martin was the only disruptive guy we had, really.
LumberJackSker-
Dobson can only do so much with what he's got, yes our linebackers and defensive ends are slow as molasses but there isnt enough training in the world thats gonna make whaley fast
So there's the arc of conversation about Dobson. He's great, we're happy to have him, he's winning awards, things aren't working out like we thought, our players are slow, we're getting whipped in the trenches, we're gassed in the fourth quarter, Dobson has to go.
Pretty interesting ride. It'll be interesting to see how the conversation evolves in the next year or two with the better athletes we have on defense. If there isn't improvement over the next year or two, the Dobson Conversation could be relegated to the history books.
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