Interesting article on Craig Roh's development
Interesting article on Craig Roh's tear-down and build up over camp and into this season on MLive.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
I like Roh's openness about his feelings and how hard it was to have his play critcized by the new staff. It's hard to go through life seeing yourself one way and then have someone slap you in the face and show you reality. I went through this when making the transition from a small high school to college. I think this shock is coming at a perfect time for Craig because he has all the physical skills to succeed and now he'll have the attitude and technique too. He really seems to be turning the tide mentally and I hope he continues to be excited about the challenges ahead.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:28 AM ^
He played very well last game. I kept seeing a defender with an "8" on his jersey tear through the O-Line to pressure the QB and kept thinking it was Martin. I'm not used to seeing Roh play that agressively. Good to see he has it in him.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:28 AM ^
It's always something I find interesting in sports - kids who are great and their then willingness to be coached.
"For the first time in Craig Roh's football career, someone told him he wasn't perfect.
And told him. And told him. And told him.
He broke down. He eventually hit rock bottom.
He cried."
Roh had never been criticized like that before, like many athletes. What's awesome is Roh's respone to the criticism:
“I just kind of had an epiphany about football and life,” Roh said, smiling. "(I realized) I am not perfect and it's OK for me to not be perfect because God has a plan for me.
"After that, it's like any criticism I get from Mattison doesn't tear down my whole entire world. He's just trying to make me a better player. ... Because of that, I came in with a much more positive attitude (last week), even when he does get down on me."
It's a refreshing attitude after seeing man athletes (particularly 1 and done bball players) who cannot handle criticism and who hate on coaches who try to coach them. Good for Craig
September 21st, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
This staff is developing players and men on this team. Big vote up for Mattison for pushing Craig to find his potential.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:34 AM ^
Good article, but even better job on Corona's part for advertising (even if it is a nasty beer).
September 21st, 2011 at 9:52 AM ^
I'm still impressed he was able to hit two people in the head with one throw.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
Those guys are both Giants staffers. I wonder if there is something behind that "accident". He couldn't hit them both again if he had a thousand tries.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
They don't look like very important staffers, especially the one lugging the backpack. He just made a bad throw and now the staffers have a Sam Bernstein on speed dial.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
The cameraman got some video of him and one of the cheerleaders in a "compromising" position in the Meadowlands parking lot and the other guy has the blackmail payoff in that backpack he's lugging around. Can't you just imagine . . .
Man my job is boring.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
I know this is old news, but I never actually saw the video until now. I am still wiping the tears away from laughing so hard. So funny...
September 21st, 2011 at 9:40 AM ^
Mattison talked a few weeks ago about kids (young men) getting pushed to the breaking point and then getting over the hump and how satisfying that was for him as a coach.
I guess maybe he knows what he's doing. (sarcasm alert)
Keep up the great work young man (Roh).
September 21st, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^
I agree that Mattison knows what he's doing. I'm assuming this kind of satisfaction is what brought him back to the college ranks. I don't think NFL players respond as well to being broken down and built back up.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:46 AM ^
It's good to see him recover from a tough start to his season. For many people, getting back up after you have been knocked down to a place you have never been is debilitating.
I don't who said it first, but the definition of success is supposedly getting back up one more time than you fall down.
I like Alfred's line fom Batman myself, "Why do we fall down? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up."
September 21st, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
Except Michael Cane is awesome and he kind of says it more like "Why do we folls down?"
September 21st, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
like watching the wold burn."
September 21st, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
"Your're only supposed to the blow the bloody DOORS off!"
September 21st, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
Love it! That's not a good one to watch at work if you get embarrassed by other people hearing you laugh. I tried to hold it in and failed. Now people think I'm weird.
September 21st, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^
MGoBlog reveals your inner self. Embrace the weirdness.
September 21st, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
"Rather you asked first, Old Boy..."
"A chap ought to look smart in front of the men, don't you think? Well, chin-chin... do carry on with your mud pies."
September 21st, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
People who are intolerant of other people's cultures.....and the dutch.
My favorite Michael Caine scene of all time, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels when he's hitting Steve Martin's legs.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:56 AM ^
It's good to see the kid has heart and resolve. Those are the type kids I want to cheer for. He will not only be a better football player for this, but he will be a better man. Good job Coach Hoke and Mattison. Those who stay...
September 21st, 2011 at 9:59 AM ^
It is great to see the change...let's hope he continues to reach the level we all hoped he would achieve. I still wonder whether Roh was sick during camp or was that just a rumor.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:03 AM ^
This is awesome. His will be an interesting story to follow the rest of the season. Hopefully that epiphany will continue to shine through as the year moves along. It definitely sounds like he's been able to put his pride on the back-burner and accept correction. Even if the results don't show on the field, I think he will be better off as a person for going through this experience. And isn't that what's ultimately at the core of coaching student athletes?
September 21st, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
To go from the press conference where Mattison gets hit with more Roh questions, and he's able to say, "Roh had never been told everything he did was wrong before", to the reporter asking for Roh's viewpoint on that same statement is really refreshing to see in a reporter. I mean, it's unlikely, but it's possible that Roh could have said, "the jerk singled me out as the problem all along, and I finally showed him he was wrong."
To bad that don't teach that "get two sides of the story" thing to all the reporters in reporter school.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
It's not the same, but: In medical school a lot of academic superstars had a very hard time not being at the top of the class, not being perfect. They'd study very hard and, for the first time in their life, they'd be "below average" (for med school). It's also a widespread practice for the doctors in charge to "pimp" you by asking you continuous questions until you don't know any more answers. Some kids would literally be in tears at the end of the day. (Fortunately I learn best by shame and humiliation, so I was OK). Everyone was wrong. A lot.
I've always kind of thought this is what seperated pro players - their ability to respond positively to criticism or failure. Tom Brady did; Ryan Leaf didn't. I guess that and the general mental toughness to perfect their technique, stay in shape, study film, etc.
Certainly everyone can achieve more and reach their fulless potential by being pushed by a good mentor. I'm really excited to see Craig and the rest of the defense improve week by week with Mattison as their sensi.
September 21st, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Its a classic example of people responding differently to different teaching styles. Some people simply do not take well to critique and excel when their positives are accentuated. Some are the opposite and learn better by having their shortcomings pointed out so they can work on them. Its interesting to read about Roh thriving more in the previous regime's teaching environment but maybe he will be someone who can adapt to a new style and succeed in this too. Maybe he's turned that corner.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^
This is the kind of stuff I love hearing about. I don't care which way you go about it I just love the hypocrisy and the justifications.
Just to recap
Rodriguez was too much a yeller like Kelly and all the staff did at practice was berate kids and break their confidence. Hoke and Mattison are "teachers" who don't yell and build kids up.
So then Roh says. I've never been told I wasn't perfect before and how Mattison rode him to the point of tears.
huh? what?
Loved the old staff, I love the new staff..... the biased bullshit agenda reporting I read in the paper and therorized on the internet I can do without.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
Teaching and "riding" are not mutually exclusive. Pointing out the weaknesses in a player's game and continually pushing them--sometimes to the point of exhaustion--to get better can be done without yelling and berating.
September 21st, 2011 at 2:41 PM ^
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:13 AM ^
The crying was most likely due to Craig's frustration with himself. You think he cried because big bad Mattison was yelling at him? Don't think so.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:59 AM ^
Not to mention
The tears followed, a culmination of a difficult few weeks which started with a rugged fall camp that was billed by players as being demanding and physical.“(I was) breaking down," the Scottsdale, Ariz., native said. "Camp was tough. We went almost every day in full pads. People would be lying if they told you camp was fun."
Jebus. Cue the Rosenberg gif... You know, it's almost like the reporting on Rodriguez was agenda-driven and complete horseshit. I think a respected journalist should write a book on the last three years to see what really happened.
September 21st, 2011 at 10:51 AM ^
"head coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison have an expertise in teaching it, and there also is position coach Chris Singletary."
Did our "Director of Player Personnel" switch jobs with actual defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery? Or did the writer just get confused by the similar body size and name ending in "ry" ?
September 21st, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^
Just a dumb writer with a poor editor.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Maybe someone edited the story by the time I read it, but I do believe it did say Montgomery.
September 21st, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Maybe someone edited the story by the time I read it, but I do believe it did say Montgomery.
September 21st, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
The article made me wish that MGoBlog had a little more access to the players. People have been asking here for weeks about what's going on with Roh and a small-time reporter for the local AA News gets to scoop. Bummer.
Also, whats up with fluff pieces like this always having to end with lame closing sentences?
"The Wolverines will look to stay perfect — something Roh is not.
He's OK with that."
Yuck. I know you have to have a closing in an article but c'mon. That's lame.
September 21st, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
Mattison talked about Roh during the presser yesterday so this info wasn't exactly scooped by this reporter. Just the only one who thought it was interesting enough to write about.
September 21st, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
At first I thought this thread was on an "Interesting article on Craig James's development" -- like he was finally responding to rumors he, CRAIG JAMES, KILLED FIVE HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU.
But Craig Roh's development is awesome, too.
September 21st, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
This story would make sense if if was written about Hawthorne or someone else that had been struggling for years and finally started to see the light after some good coaching and experienced big improvement (FYI I have no idea if this is the case with him specifically).
But this was written about Roh - a guy that had solid and very promising production as an undersized true freshman and sometimes mishandled true sophomore in GERG's system of all places. It wasn't that we were getting glowing practice reports about someone with a lot of potential - Roh went out in the big games and put up good numbers the past 2 years. It doesn't really matter if the last staff was unduly pumping him up or whatever - he was going out and producing in the games.
In the first two games as a Junior Roh was simply a worse player. He regressed pretty badly. Whatever the new staff did in fall camp and up to the first 2 games made him worse. Since that seems unlikely given the quality of the defensive coaches, it may have been related to effort. For all the talk about Craig "now buying in" as Mattison said, you have to wonder if Craig wasn't a fan of the new staff or he didn't agree with the way he was being coached (until now I guess, per the article).
This article does not fit the development of Roh as a player.
September 21st, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^
Well, if the old staff was telling him "You're doing great!" when he was playing outside linebacker and he was horribly overmatched, then that's a problem. You can't tell players they're doing great when they're not; and you shouldn't tell them that they suck when they don't. Roh was pretty good as a true freshman - for a true freshman - but that has nothing to do with this staff. Last year he was misused, and he wasn't very good because of it.
This staff obviously has different expectations for what they want out of their defensive players. I don't think it's necessarily that he wasn't buying in; I think it's just that he thought his old way was working and, therefore, he had a hard time seeing what good a change of technique might do him.
The important thing is that he's maturing, he had a pretty good game against EMU, and now he'll (hopefully) continue to improve.
September 21st, 2011 at 2:49 PM ^
Roh put up good numbers last year? Really? Show us. I'm pretty sure that Roh spent almost all of last season playing out of position as an outside linebacker and did next to nothing. Craig is now receiving on the job training on how to play the weakside DE position correctly, something that didn't happen last year because he wasn't allowed to play at his natural position.
He hasn't regressed at all. He's just now learning how to play the position he was meant to be at all along. (and doing so while dealing with both an illness and a shoulder injury).
September 21st, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^
of Roh and his skills, talent and potential over GERG/RR anytime. If Mattison sees potential and has to tear it down to build it up correctly and bring out that potential, and hopefully expand it, then I am all for it. GERG did absolutely ZERO to improve or develop any single player on this defense.
Roh's success as a freshman was due to his skills and talent that he had when he showed up. Mattison obviously sees a greater potential and has a desire to help the young man on, and off the field. If he is able to develop Roh, BWC and an LB or two this defense and this team will all the better for it.
September 21st, 2011 at 2:50 PM ^
September 21st, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
It is basically hopeless (for a large chunk of the current MGoBoard population) to try and suggest that anything the current coaches are doing might be misguided or anything other than a perfectly crafted strategy to instill TOUGHNESS. Everything is spun in the most positive light possible, even if it is a tortured analysis. I'm not a downer or even a "don't be an optimist" guy but some of the stuff I've read on here has been particularly ridiculous lately.
I know that's pretty normal but I feel like the majority of RR supporters (myself included) were more than willing to point out the coaching staff's flaws and discuss ways to improve things without getting attacked by more than a couple TRUST THE COACHES zealots. I don't usually complain about this stuff but yeah...it's annoying.
September 21st, 2011 at 3:28 PM ^
A populace unhappy with the current then replaced regime embracing the mantras of the new leaderhip and spewing hatred for the oustered. I love the new coaching staff as much as the next fan if not more, but I agree that we need not put the cart before the horse. Everything SEEMS to be going the right direction but let's see how we feel in a few years. Hopefully we aren't having the wool pulled over our eyes.
September 22nd, 2011 at 7:43 AM ^
So instead you're choosing to "trust the coaches" who drove the defense into the ground and suggest that they were doing it right?
I'm the last guy who will say "trust the coaches," but in this case, these guys (Hoke and Mattison especially) have proven to be good coaches, and the defense seems to have improved this year. I'm not sure why we wouldn't give them the benefit of the doubt.
EDIT: By the way, last year through 3 games, Roh had 11 tackles and 3 tackles for loss. He finished the season with 43 tackles (pretty consistent), 5.5 tackles for loss (which is a dropoff), and .5 sacks. Now he's on pace for 20 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks (over a 12 game schedule), although he seems to be on the upswing so those are probably low estimates.
September 21st, 2011 at 6:48 PM ^
Excuse me; why are you stalking me and posting candid pictures of myself grilling at a tailgate?
September 21st, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
That guy was a good center, he played next to Al at Polk high.