M
Matt OBrien
Guest
With Stephon Gilmore set to appear in his second-consecutive Super Bowl, I wanted to share some thoughts about my time playing with the Gamecock great.
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When you walk on to a football team that had as much talent as the 2010 South Carolina squad had, you're going to need some time to acclimate to this new level of football. I was introduced to the program through our Winter Strength and Conditioning Program, headed by Craig Fitzgerald. As if that wasn't intense enough, I was put into the defensive back training group, which included Stephon Gilmore, Chris Culliver, DJ Swearinger, Akeem Auguste, and more.
What stood about many of the defensive backs is just how intense they took each drill in conditioning, especially Swearinger -- the screaming, the dancing -- it was exactly how you could imagine a Jungle Boi workout.
One guy who never got into all of that was Stephon Gilmore. In fact, if you looked at his size and the amount of weights he was lifting, and his overall demeanor at a strength session, you probably never would have guess that Stephon was one of the best players in the entire country.
Never one to say much, Stephon would go through every workout and every drill with his end-goal in mind, and not get caught up too much in the now. The best word I could use to describe Stephon in the training setting is "focused." In fact, it's his laser-focus that makes him just as good on the field, as well.
"5" as he was often called, was a machine on the field. If you told 5 to cover Julio Jones every play, he would say okay without batting an eye. At the same time, he would cover the top WR for a lesser team with the same amount of discipline and respect. That's not something all players do between varying levels of competition from week to week at the college level.
As far as athleticism goes, Stephon is pretty much a prototype man corner in any defense. He can run, change direction, has good size, and puts in a great deal of time in film study to pick up the subtle nuances of a receiver's route. On top of that, he is a pure competitor and his focused, get-it-done attitude is something that rubs on his teammates and helps create a winning culture in the locker room. It's those traits that make him the ideal player for Coach Belichick.
Even further, Stephon is a good person and is someone who is a tremendous ambassador for the South Carolina program. When thinking about the best players I shared time with at SC, Stephon is always at the top of the list, and is someone who continues to prove himself more each season.
Looking forward to seeing what 5 --- I mean, 24 --- can do out there for the Patriots today. Hoping he draws some good assignments, as I know he'll be ready!
---
When you walk on to a football team that had as much talent as the 2010 South Carolina squad had, you're going to need some time to acclimate to this new level of football. I was introduced to the program through our Winter Strength and Conditioning Program, headed by Craig Fitzgerald. As if that wasn't intense enough, I was put into the defensive back training group, which included Stephon Gilmore, Chris Culliver, DJ Swearinger, Akeem Auguste, and more.
What stood about many of the defensive backs is just how intense they took each drill in conditioning, especially Swearinger -- the screaming, the dancing -- it was exactly how you could imagine a Jungle Boi workout.
One guy who never got into all of that was Stephon Gilmore. In fact, if you looked at his size and the amount of weights he was lifting, and his overall demeanor at a strength session, you probably never would have guess that Stephon was one of the best players in the entire country.
Never one to say much, Stephon would go through every workout and every drill with his end-goal in mind, and not get caught up too much in the now. The best word I could use to describe Stephon in the training setting is "focused." In fact, it's his laser-focus that makes him just as good on the field, as well.
"5" as he was often called, was a machine on the field. If you told 5 to cover Julio Jones every play, he would say okay without batting an eye. At the same time, he would cover the top WR for a lesser team with the same amount of discipline and respect. That's not something all players do between varying levels of competition from week to week at the college level.
As far as athleticism goes, Stephon is pretty much a prototype man corner in any defense. He can run, change direction, has good size, and puts in a great deal of time in film study to pick up the subtle nuances of a receiver's route. On top of that, he is a pure competitor and his focused, get-it-done attitude is something that rubs on his teammates and helps create a winning culture in the locker room. It's those traits that make him the ideal player for Coach Belichick.
Even further, Stephon is a good person and is someone who is a tremendous ambassador for the South Carolina program. When thinking about the best players I shared time with at SC, Stephon is always at the top of the list, and is someone who continues to prove himself more each season.
Looking forward to seeing what 5 --- I mean, 24 --- can do out there for the Patriots today. Hoping he draws some good assignments, as I know he'll be ready!
