What Washington Needs to do to get back to the top

DonaldJones said:

There are a combination of things that obviously need to happen in order for the Huskies to get back to the top but I just one to touch on one thing I noticed while watching the bowl game vs OSU. As a scout the first thing you naturally do is the eyeball test. Looking at our guys compared to OSU there was a big difference in my opinion on the physical make up of the Players. OSU looked more physically imposing than our players.

Now when I played I was a huge weight room guy so I feel that championships are won in the off season strength and condition program or at least that is the foundation of successful season. Nowadays it seems some strength coaches are to technical with so much information that they forget the core training methods that have proven to work over time.

ESPN classics showed the 1991 Rose Bowl a few days ago and was thinking that team makes the current Roster looks like like a group of Freshman. I remember Johnny Morton from USC a few years ago commented on the fact that I used a thigh pad to cover my bruised Bicep for protection during the game. Hey said guys on their team were like, "#48 arms are so big he has to us a thigh Pad to cover it". Also, I ran into guy that played at Washington in 1993 for East Carolina. He said they were intimated when NIP and and guys like Ernie Conwell came out with half cut Jersey's showing their guns and six pack. Did you see the Ohio State Players last night? It reminding me how we looked. They ran the ball down Oregon's throat because the were the stronger Team.

My point is this, We just need to get our edge back and it starts in the Weight room. Its were confidence is built. It think its important to have certain measurables and set personal goals. It's not the the be all and end all but when I set the school record at UW in the Squat at 750lb I felt no one could stop me. I benched 420 pounds in high school so I was ready play when I first got to Washington and it showed on the practice field.

It seems that some programs overemphasize fancy Machines and a plethora drills and de-emphasize core lifts and Free Weights because they feel you would get to bulky and loose agility. I think you train correctly you get yoked up, fast, agile and explosive. (and we had loose hips. lol) If you remember we were known for our speed and athleticism but almost our whole team benched over 400lbs. Mark Brunell could Power Clean 350 pounds. Nip could bench press well over 400 pounds. I could go on and on. I just don't think a team 25 years ago should not be more physically imposing that a Team today.

Now It takes time to build muscle mass so I can blame the current strength program but next year if their lineman come out looking look pillsbury doughboys then I would question what they are doing in their strength and condition program. Just my thoughts on a program I love and hope to see back at the top soon.

We expect the guys to be on time for all workouts, which sounds like a no-brainer. But with redshirt freshmen lifting at 5:45 a.m., it sometimes needs to be emphasized. Also, whenever our players are in the weightroom, we expect them to not wear anything that draws attention to themselves, such as necklaces, bracelets, or non-issued clothing. Simple rules like these send an important message: No one is bigger than the team, and if you want to garner attention, you earn it through hard work and not the way you accessorize.

These basic rules give rise to some interesting conflicts involving new athletes, who were almost always stars in high school and may come from programs where such strict standards didn't apply to them. But our older players set the example, and as time goes on, everyone eventually "gets it" and sees that it's an important part of our success.

Our accountability system is progressive. At those early freshman lifting sessions, the first athlete who shows up late typically pushes a plate for the length of time he missed, with a minimum of 10 minutes. For the next person who is late, he and his roommates receive the punishment. After that, we might apply it to everyone who plays the late athlete's position.

PurpleJ said:

They were training on machines?! Christ!

DonaldJones said:

Thanks Guys on the information on Coach Socha. I have never met him but He seems to be my kind of guy after reading his article in the times. Like I said, it takes time and we have to give the new staff a chance to develop these players but I do hope to see a noticeable difference by next year.

I am a fan of Coach Petersen and believe he will get the job done. Sark did a good job considering he took over an 0-12 program but it seems he was trying to be too much like Oregon. That's understandable if you are WSU but the precedent has already been set and a culture has already been established. I have talked guys that played against Washington from the 70's all the way up to the early 2000's and they all will tell you that whenever they had to play the Huskies they always had to buckle up their chin strap because they new they going to be in a physical battle.

I am not knocking Oregon's style of play because they have become one of the top programs in the country but that's them. You can look at the way Stanford plays Oregon. Our style has been proven to win National Championships and I just feel we need to get back what's Husky football is all about.