Bretsky
11-09-2007, 08:15 AM
School of hard knocks
Receivers coach doesn't pamper his players
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 8, 2007
Green Bay - Some might call Green Bay Packers coach Jimmy Robinson a perfectionist, a slave to detail, a man obsessed with the little things.
Or as receiver Greg Jennings prefers, just plain "annoying."
If there's anyone who can keep the Packers' soaring receivers corps grounded, it's the diminutive Robinson, a 17-year veteran of the NFL coaching ranks and a former wide receiver with the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
All you have to do is watch one practice and you understand the lengths Robinson goes to make sure that his receivers line up properly, run their routes precisely and block with the vigor of an offensive lineman. Make a beautiful over the shoulder catch as rookie James Jones did in practice Wednesday and the first thing you hear is Robinson telling him he could have done it better.
"Annoying? Not Jimmy," receiver Ruvell Martin said. "We really enjoy it. We enjoy hearing his voice and hearing him yell, especially when we're all the way on the other side of the field and he yells something to us. Those are the kinds of things that give us a warm, fuzzy feeling."
You have not been indoctrinated as a Packers wide receiver until Robinson has told you your split isn't wide enough and you need to take a quarter step to the right. Or you failed to get a plant foot down before you began dragging your toe on a sideline route. Or you could have had better technique catching the ball.
The receivers regularly joke about Robinson's overindulgence with detail, probably to hide a layer of pent up frustration that comes from constantly being corrected. What isn't hidden is their acknowledgment that Robinson has made them better receivers.
"I gotta say he's one of the best coaches I've had since I've been here," Donald Driver said. "I've had some good coaches and he's right there with Ray Sherman. We joke about it and have fun about it, but we know he's teaching us the right thing."
Robinson admits that he might not always be a bundle of joy to be around, but he can't accept neglecting the little things because he thinks it's what separates good receivers from great ones. It's one of the reasons why Robinson was able to average 16.9 yards per catch in 58 games as a 5-9, 170-pound receiver in the NFL.
Over the years, Robinson, 54, has coached the likes of Andre Rison, Marvin Harrison, Ike Hilliard, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn and Dante' Stallworth. He hasn't changed his philosophy much, which is to be precise and fundamentally sound.
"Talent alone doesn't win for you," Robinson said. "If you're a talented guy and work hard and are attentive to detail then you really have a leg up on those who don't. There are a lot of guys in professional sports who are so talented they can get by on talent alone. But for the majority, you have to be fundamentally sound, and you have to do things precisely."
It's not a stretch to say that Robinson has had a role in the emergence of Jennings and Jones as bona fide NFL receivers. The Packers rank second in the league in passing and the combination of Driver, Jennings and Jones ranks among the top trios in receiving yards.
Both Jennings and Jones were more mature than the average rookie receiver when they entered the league and have played at a high level almost since the day they arrived. But their integration into coach Mike McCarthy's system has largely been due to Robinson's work.
"He's an outstanding teacher," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "He's really detailed with those guys, their splits, their depth. The spacing and the timing in the passing game is absolutely critical. With his receivers background he understands that well and can relay that and get his group of guys to buy into it."
It doesn't come easy, however, especially for rookies.
Jones came in this year expected to contribute immediately and Robinson's goal was to get him up to snuff before training camp ended. Even 10 weeks into the regular season, Jones can't catch a break from Robinson, although he admits the tough love has made him better.
"He was on me from Day One of training camp, so I knew he was going to get on me for any little thing," Jones said. "I knew I was in for it from the jump. I've been coached hard by other coaches, but he's definitely different. You need it, (but) sometimes you might hate it."
Robinson could lighten up, but that would be doing his receivers a disservice. He said he's only had one player (not a Packer) get really angry with him, so much so that they had to iron out their differences alone in a meeting room. He understands that it takes time to get used to him, but he tells his pupils ahead of time to expect a coaching overload.
"They need to realize it's not going to be just today and tomorrow, it's going to be everyday and not to get frustrated by it," Robinson said. "There's probably a guy who says to himself or out loud, 'When is it good enough?' But I'm going to congratulate them when they succeed and I'm going to criticize them constructively when they don't.
"If something is done good, but can be done better, I'm going to show them why because ultimately it's going to make them do it better."
Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report
Receivers coach doesn't pamper his players
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 8, 2007
Green Bay - Some might call Green Bay Packers coach Jimmy Robinson a perfectionist, a slave to detail, a man obsessed with the little things.
Or as receiver Greg Jennings prefers, just plain "annoying."
If there's anyone who can keep the Packers' soaring receivers corps grounded, it's the diminutive Robinson, a 17-year veteran of the NFL coaching ranks and a former wide receiver with the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
All you have to do is watch one practice and you understand the lengths Robinson goes to make sure that his receivers line up properly, run their routes precisely and block with the vigor of an offensive lineman. Make a beautiful over the shoulder catch as rookie James Jones did in practice Wednesday and the first thing you hear is Robinson telling him he could have done it better.
"Annoying? Not Jimmy," receiver Ruvell Martin said. "We really enjoy it. We enjoy hearing his voice and hearing him yell, especially when we're all the way on the other side of the field and he yells something to us. Those are the kinds of things that give us a warm, fuzzy feeling."
You have not been indoctrinated as a Packers wide receiver until Robinson has told you your split isn't wide enough and you need to take a quarter step to the right. Or you failed to get a plant foot down before you began dragging your toe on a sideline route. Or you could have had better technique catching the ball.
The receivers regularly joke about Robinson's overindulgence with detail, probably to hide a layer of pent up frustration that comes from constantly being corrected. What isn't hidden is their acknowledgment that Robinson has made them better receivers.
"I gotta say he's one of the best coaches I've had since I've been here," Donald Driver said. "I've had some good coaches and he's right there with Ray Sherman. We joke about it and have fun about it, but we know he's teaching us the right thing."
Robinson admits that he might not always be a bundle of joy to be around, but he can't accept neglecting the little things because he thinks it's what separates good receivers from great ones. It's one of the reasons why Robinson was able to average 16.9 yards per catch in 58 games as a 5-9, 170-pound receiver in the NFL.
Over the years, Robinson, 54, has coached the likes of Andre Rison, Marvin Harrison, Ike Hilliard, Amani Toomer, Joe Horn and Dante' Stallworth. He hasn't changed his philosophy much, which is to be precise and fundamentally sound.
"Talent alone doesn't win for you," Robinson said. "If you're a talented guy and work hard and are attentive to detail then you really have a leg up on those who don't. There are a lot of guys in professional sports who are so talented they can get by on talent alone. But for the majority, you have to be fundamentally sound, and you have to do things precisely."
It's not a stretch to say that Robinson has had a role in the emergence of Jennings and Jones as bona fide NFL receivers. The Packers rank second in the league in passing and the combination of Driver, Jennings and Jones ranks among the top trios in receiving yards.
Both Jennings and Jones were more mature than the average rookie receiver when they entered the league and have played at a high level almost since the day they arrived. But their integration into coach Mike McCarthy's system has largely been due to Robinson's work.
"He's an outstanding teacher," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "He's really detailed with those guys, their splits, their depth. The spacing and the timing in the passing game is absolutely critical. With his receivers background he understands that well and can relay that and get his group of guys to buy into it."
It doesn't come easy, however, especially for rookies.
Jones came in this year expected to contribute immediately and Robinson's goal was to get him up to snuff before training camp ended. Even 10 weeks into the regular season, Jones can't catch a break from Robinson, although he admits the tough love has made him better.
"He was on me from Day One of training camp, so I knew he was going to get on me for any little thing," Jones said. "I knew I was in for it from the jump. I've been coached hard by other coaches, but he's definitely different. You need it, (but) sometimes you might hate it."
Robinson could lighten up, but that would be doing his receivers a disservice. He said he's only had one player (not a Packer) get really angry with him, so much so that they had to iron out their differences alone in a meeting room. He understands that it takes time to get used to him, but he tells his pupils ahead of time to expect a coaching overload.
"They need to realize it's not going to be just today and tomorrow, it's going to be everyday and not to get frustrated by it," Robinson said. "There's probably a guy who says to himself or out loud, 'When is it good enough?' But I'm going to congratulate them when they succeed and I'm going to criticize them constructively when they don't.
"If something is done good, but can be done better, I'm going to show them why because ultimately it's going to make them do it better."
Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report