Growth in the gym pays off on the gridiron for St. Vincent LB

St. Vincent senior linebacker Drake Robinson is not just the Indians' defensive leader but also one of the school's strongest athletes.

His hard work in the weight room has paid off on the field. Robinson recovered a fumble, ran 60 yards for a touchdown, and led the defense to hold the Blackcats offense to 44 offensive yards during the Indians' 40-0 road win over the Herculaneum Blackcats on Friday, Sept. 15, in Herculaneum, Mo.

"They kind of mishandled the snap and the ball popped right back up and he grabbed it, took it to the house," St. Vincent coach Tim Schumer said.

St. Vincent (2-2), a Class 1 team, has defeated Class 4 Perryville and Class 3 Herculaneum by a combined score of 89-7. When discussing the difference between playing against higher-class opponents, Robinson mentioned the disparity in the number of physically developed athletes. However, "It’s not the size of the dog in the fight is the size of the fight in the dog that really determines what makes a team great.”

In the case of Robinson, both the size of the dog and the fight are immense. At 6'2" and 180 lbs, he has built a balanced body, one strong enough to bench press 300 lbs and squat 450 lbs, while also quick enough to track down the opposing ball carrier.

His motivation spurns from no longer wanting to feel like the little freshman getting tossed around by the opponent. He also felt like as his responsibilities to his team grew, he needed the gym to help him grow with it.

"I started going to the gym and going to the field and really putting in the work mostly for the guys," Robinson said. "I didn't want to feel like I let any of them down. I mean, they're who I play for and I feel like it's my priority to provide them with the best of my abilities on the field."

Robinson's growth from the gym has paid off in the gridiron. He earned a Semoball Award nomination for racking up 119 tackles last year and is leading an Indians' defense that is allowing 14.7 points per game, which is on pace to be better than any previous season in the past decade.

Yet even that, is still not enough.

"You always still feel like you're the little guy," Robinson said. "You could be better than you were that day. It just still eats at you, but I mean, that's what keeps you going and that's what fuels you.”

While Robinson's bench and squat numbers are impressive, there are other exercises that make him the proficient pass rusher and run stopper that he is.

"Kettlebell swings really helped the explosiveness," Robinson said. "Box jumps, the agility ladder, benchpress help a lot for blocking and squat helps for explosive. They all have their little niches that help with everything."

That being said, the true key for Robinson is the effort to extinguish energy in the pursuit of excellence.

"It's not what individual exercise helps the most. It's how much you're willing to give to your body to become more explosive," Robinson said. "It's not only what you can do in there it's also what you can do in the field. Transferring it over to the field that makes a difference."

Football comes and goes for every athlete, but the principles learned in its preparation can remain for Robinson to preserve his athleticism and fitness.

"There's something to get your mind off everything and kind of work for something that you really want to achieve," Robinson said. "It's really just football when there's no football anymore."

St. Vincent returns home on Friday, Sept. 22, to take on Valle Catholic.