Page 14 THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1981
Sports
Former coach talks of famous teams
Robertson
a defensive genious
Doubles highlight
Ag tennis tourney
will
offii
By RICK STOLLE
app
of I
By RITCHIE PRIDDY
Sports Editor
This is the first of a two part series
about Aggie defenses under Mel
vin Robertson. The second part
will follow in Wednesday’s paper.
that
When one thinks of great col
legiate defensive teams of the past
one has to think of the Texas
Aggies. From 1973 to 1978 the
Aggies led the Southwest Confer
ence in defense while ranking
high in national defensive statis
tics. The man responsible for
those defenses is Melvin
Robertson.
Robertson, who now owns two
liquor stores in College Station,
was the Aggies’ defensive coordi
nator from 1973 to 1978. During
that time his defenses were recog
nized as some of the best in the
land.
Although temporarily out of
coaching, Robertson is still consi
dered by many to be one of the
most intelligent defensive coaches
in the game. This is evident by the
number of coaching jobs he has
been offered since leaving Texas
A6cM in 1978. Robertson has re
ceived job offers from as far away
as the University of Pittsburgh
and Mississippi State.
Robertson came to Texas A&M
in 1972 when Emory Bellard was
named head coach. He and Bel
lard had known each other for
quite some time (they had
coached against one another on
more than one occasion) and when
Bellard accepted the job, Robert
son was the first person he called.
Robertson began his coaching
career in Stanton and after a suc
cessful coaching stint there,
moved on to Sweetwater, where
his teams captured six district
championships in as many years.
In the fall of 1965, Robertson
joined the University of Houston
staff as a secondary coach for Bill
Yeoman. That coaching staff in
cluded former professional
coaches Bum Phillips and Chuck
Fairbanks.
A year later Fairbanks left for
Oklahoma and greener pastures,
and Robertson was named defen
sive coordinator. That was the be
ginning of Robertson s claim to
fame.
During his tenure at Houston
he put together a 4-3 defense that
was no less than awesome, rated as
the number five defense in the
nation. Not many people can re
member that Houston defense,
since at the time, Houston was
running a new veer offense while
destroying opponents right and
left.
Robertson came to Texas A&M
with just one thing in mind — to
build a winning defense. He did
just that.
From 1973 to 1978 his teams
dominated the SWC in total de
fense all but one year, and were
rated as the number three defen
sive teams in the nation behind
Alabama and Michigan in
time.
He didn’t do anything special to
build his famous defensive
squads, other than to throw in a
little motivation. That motivation
became a trademark of his teams,
as did players of the caliber of Ed
Simonini, Pat Thomas, Lester
Hayes, Robert Jackson, Jackie
Williams, Edgar Fields, Tank
Marshall and Garth Ten Napel.
The list goes on and on.
He ran a basic 4-3 defense with
a few alterations, something
which many people deny.
One can sense the excitement
in Robertson’s voice as he de
scribes his 4-3 defenses which be
came feared and respected
throughout the nation: “You have
four down linemen attacking the
offensive line — they can lay their
ears back. If they can whip them,
and you can get them to do that,
you’ve got three linebackers that
can slide up and down the line.
They are the hardest people to
block and those guys can flat get
around the ball. Well, you’ve got
four secondary guys keying backs,
the ball and quick rotations. You
can’t hardly block them. So, if the
play is a run you’ve got seven guys
that can get to the ball. Then, if
those four linemen can escape
their blocks, which they are
taught to do, you have 11 players
around the ball.”
He said that if the offense sent a
receiver deep, somebody would
cover him, but the other 10 play
ers were supposed to be within
five yards of the ball. They usually
were.
“You throw in a little motivation
and enthusiasm and you can
swarm the field. That’s the best
alignment to get the most people
around the ball and that’s the
name of the game anyway.”
On occasion he would throw in a
few stunts and blitzes to keep the
offense honest. “I always felt that
you’ve got to attack the offense.
“We always got criticism that
we blitzed too much. We didn’t
blitz near as much as what people
said."
Robertson told his players that
he wouldn’t call a blitz until they
showed him that they could whip
the other team.
“I told them that they had to be
cranked up — their motor running
100 percent — or I wouldn’t call
anything because it would make
us look bad if we got beat. I could
tell if they were fired up out there.
If they weren’t we’d run a straight
4-3 all day long.”
Asked how he got his teams
motivated he said: “You just talk to
them. You know, about pride,
hustle and motivation.”
Robertson demanded an all-out
effort from his defenses, another
characteristic that set them apart
from the average defense.
“You’ve got to have your best
players out there and they have to
be tough, hard-nosed — the kind
sea
con
the
Zac
cha
Bui
En
Staff photo by Brian Tate
Melvin Robertson, former defensive coordinator
for the Texas Aggies, proudly stands in front his
store window displaying some of the memorabilia
from his coaching days. Robertson is considered by
many people to be one of the finest defensive
coaches in the game.
that would not complain about
broken legs or anything like that.
I’m talking about those minor
things that you are going to have
all your life as long as you play
football.
“If you can’t play with a high
level of efficiency, aggressiveness
and never let the defense down
you 11 never have a great defense
— and that’s what we had. We had
it where the entire defensive
squad was like that. Practice
would be unreal. They loved to
practice. We had some fiin out
there practicing. We were going
hard and tough everyday.
“We always preached to never
be in the damn training room —
didn’t want to see any of the defen
sive guys in the training room.”
Needless to say, very few defen
sive players were hurt enough to
report to the trainers.
The 1975-76 teams stand out in
his mind as two of his best defen
sive squads.
“The 1974 and 75 squads were
good. The ’76 team was dang
good. Those we re probably the
best ones. We had two or three at
Houston that were comparable
but the offense was so good there
they kind of overshadowed the de
fense.
“Here, we averaged 50 turnov
ers a year — that’s five a ballgame.
Plus, our opponents punted an av
erage of eight times a game. Nor
mally, you are going to get the ball
14 or 15 times per game, so you’re
talking about eight times they
didn’t do anything and five times
we got a momentum-type thing
like an interception or fumble. ”
(continued)
Battalion Staff
The First Texas A&M University Three-way tournament turns
out to be quite a tournament for matched pairs.
David Pate and Greg Amayla of TCU were the finialists in single
and the teams of Doug Crawford-Craig Kardon and Tom Foife ato
Johnny Levine of the University of Texas were finalists in ’
the weekend tournament at the Omar Smith Tennis Centerontln no\
Texas A&M campus.
Pate won the singles competition and the doubles championsb saic
will be played later. The Aggies also had two doubles teams rear!
the quarterfinals before falling to the two Texas teams.
The Aggie team of Ron Kowal-Tom Judson beat Peter
Mike Metzger of TCU 7-6, 7-5 in the first round. They then defeatd
Chris Doane-Kevin Dul of TCU 6-3, 6-2 before losing to Kart
Crawford 6-2, 6-2.
Aggies Brian Joelson and Mike Pazourek beat Todd Lees;
George Lee ofTCU 6-3, 6-2 and Paul Crozier-Ted E rek of Texas t
retired before losing to Levine-Fontana.
Texas A&M coach David Kent said, “The doubles matchbehseR
Joelson and Pazourek against Levine and Fontana was
tennis match since the NCAA finals. Both teams played their hear
out and neither deserved to lose.”
He said the upperclassmen did not play as well as expected!
especially in singles, but the freshmen came through andplaytl
very well. Two of the three juniors on the team lost in thell:I (
round. The Aggies have no seniors on the squad this year.
Both Kowal and Judson lost first round matches but Kentsaidth*:
two came back to play very' well in doubles.
“The tournament a was great experience for us, Kent said,"®!
freshmen played exceptionally well.” ..
Kimmo Alkio, a freshman from Finland, took eventualchanpjr] 5 '
Pate to three sets before finally losing 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
“Kimmo played a great match, I think he surprised Pate at
because Kimmo has played some tough matches and wasprq
for him,” said Kent. “Unfortunately, the surprise wore off after
first set.”
Freshman Mike Pazourek defeated Kures and Metzger boll
TCU 6-4, 0-6, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-0, respectively. He was defeated
quarterflnalist Crozier of Texas 6-1, 6-4.
Genario Fernandez defeated George Lee of TCU 7-6,6-7,
before losing to teammate Joelson 6-2, 7-5.
“Genario really showed some spunk in his matches, saidKei
“He had a very good tournament.”
The excellent showing by the freshmen encouraged Kent. He*
he is optimistic about the season with the help and fineplaylk
freshmen will provide.
“They will certaintly give a lift to the team, he said. “0t
freshmen must be considered a threat to anyone they play, andtlr |
have the ability to play- with anyone in the conference.
'Die teams next competition is scheduled to be in Austmati Iresi
University of Texas Three-way tournament between Texas,
and Trinity University Oct. 2-4.
Kent said the team will have to work on singles but is W
forward to the stiff competition the tournament will have.
SPECIALS
Sun.
Lone Star
Noon to 7.
7 to 9.
mm . Lone oiai
OUv Longnecks
Dime Beer
Owners
Same Quality Service
NEW LOCATION
/r
Moved to University East Commerce Center
mam
505 University Drive
Suite 805
;■/ ; ; V
College Station
846-4771
Mon. $ 1 Drinks
Men’s Nite
“Monday Nite Football”
On Our Big Screen TV!
50t Beer
Tues. 50<: Drinks
Ladies Nite
Wed. 2 for 1
7 to 9
Thurs. 2 fori
’til 10 p.m.
“UNESCORTED LADIES
FREE”
HAPPY HOUR 4:00-7:00
Pool, Pinball, 3 full bars, waitresses &
1000 sq. ft. of dance floor on
which to kick up your heels!
“The Finest
Night Club
Within lOOMilrt
OPEN 7
DAYS
A WEEK
‘A Touch of
Country Class!'
Hwy. 6 Across from Texas World Speedway
said:
New
ately
nista
a$ke<
'S'eap
^gh
But
Sene
^ttia
Sa
rrif
' v hic
The
! lect
a bhe
Th
Fi
°nth
In
J'latio
Belig