NORMAN — It didn't take long for the University of Oklahoma freshman to run back. Xavier Robinson to get used to jerry schmidt.
OU's strength and conditioning coach is known for his rigorous training that strengthens his players both physically and mentally.
Robinson never had trouble using his physicality to his advantage, despite a bruised back that often hurt defenders during his standout career at prestigious Carl Albert High School in Yukon, Oklahoma. .
But his eyes quickly opened to how things were going with Schmidt during the Sooners' winter practices.
“Oh yeah. It's real,” Robinson said last month. “… Day 1. I wake up at 5 a.m., I’m walking inside at 6 a.m., and he’s blowing the whistle. That whistle is blowing.
“Inside the room, you can hear cleats stomping, stomping, stomping. Everyone screaming…That's where I first woke up.”
For Robinson, arriving on campus this winter was key. He's stepping into a talented running back group that was once enjoying a rise. Gavin Sawciak Continuation of last year. Giovante Burns After the 2023 season was interrupted due to injury, he hopes to enjoy his return season this fall. And to top it all off, Robinson isn't the only talented addition. demarco murray's room.
transfer sam franklin He achieved much success at UT Martin University, Taylor TatumRanked among the top running backs in the country, he will be affiliated with the Sooners this summer.
Robinson is backing his talent to stand out in a crowded running back room, but he also feels a different level of pressure as a hometown player stepping onto Oklahoma's practice field.
“When you go out there, you’re not only representing yourself, you’re representing your mom, your entire family, your extended family, and your university,” Robinson said. So I can see that you are appreciated by everyone. ”
While being close to her family helped make the transition as smooth as possible, Robinson also made sure she understood all aspects of the program before enrolling.
Robinson said, “By participating in these (unofficial) visits, I felt like I had a pretty good idea of how everything was going. That's why I kept coming back to visit again and again. It was going well,” he said.
Part of the appeal for every running back contributing to Oklahoma is playing under Murray.
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Even if the feedback loop from the Sooners' running backs coach is tough, Murray's accomplishments in the NFL still carry a lot of weight for a young running back who is more than just a former OU star.
“Coming from a very experienced coach who has really done it, he understands what it takes,” Robinson said. “He understands the adversity that's going to happen. I'm glad to have a coach like that who understands what's really going on. But in addition to his accomplishments, He's a really good, strict and tough coach.
“…It's really tough love coming here. It's not a game. I'm not here to play games, I'm not here to be liked. But me and Coach Murray It's really tough love…and I appreciate the appreciation from him because it helps me grow. But everything was smooth. It was great and I like the way he did it.”
Still, since moving this winter, Robinson has found himself relying on Burns' experience for everything from how he approaches practice to the best places to get haircuts in Norman.
“He’s like one of my older brothers here,” Robinson said. “So he's one of those guys. He's unselfish in everything he does, he's a team player, so he helped me get into everything smoothly.”
Robinson isn't the only freshman getting acclimated to Oklahoma over the winter and spring.
His fellow early enrollees are looking to do something different this spring and earn playing time next fall for the Sooners' debut in the Southeastern Conference.
“Me and this group talked about some goals we wanted to set even before we got here,” he said. “We don't want to be behind in anything. We always want to be first.
“We always preach to each other, 'When you leave that building, be the first one there and the last one there.' So we have some goals.”
