|
NAME:
Taurean "Tori" Robinson HIGH SCHOOL COACH: Mike Shapiro HIGH SCHOOL STATS FOOTBALL: Rushed for 849 yards on 103 carries 8.2 yards per carry 8 touchdowns
in 8 games
|
Southridge record holder in 4 x 100 Relay The FIU football team is heavy on both manpower and brainpower. The team boasts three Bright Futures Scholars and has an average SAT score of 950. Head Coach Don Strock says he has made academic performance as high a priority as strength, speed and agility on the field. "My
number one priority is that these young men learn," said Strock.
"They are here to earn a college degree. On a secondary level, they
are here to compete on the football field. My coaches and I have
begun to create that balance with our new team. They will go to
school, and they will do well only then will they play."
The
new players will adhere to the NCAA rules that require student athletes
to be enrolled as full-time students. Most will take classes in
the morning and attend team practices and meetings in the afternoon.
The players will be required to meet with academic advisors who
will help with scheduling classes and monitor their academic progress,
and they will be required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average.
"With
discipline and commitment, all of our guys can succeed as students,"
said Strock. "It's up to us to provide the guidance they'll need
as very busy student athletes to facilitate that success."
|
 |
::::::::::
STROCKTALK
::::::::::
By DON STROCK Things are really getting busy around the football office. The phones are ringing, the faxes are coming in, and my coaches and I are working to make sure our 2002 season is a complete success. A
lot of people wonder what a day in the life of a football coach
is like, so I'd like to share with you what an average day for me
and my staff consists of.
It
starts off really early, by 7 a.m. we're returning calls, and we're
getting prepared for the day. At 9 a.m. the first of several coaches
meetings takes place. At 11:30 a.m. we workout, and we have lunch.
There's another meeting after lunch, and we have the final preparations
for practice. At 2:30 p.m. we begin our team and individual meetings,
followed by our walk throughs, our stretches, drills, and practices.
Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by the full staff reviewing
the practice films close to 8 p.m. We go home after that, rest for
a while and do it all over again the next morning.
It's
not as glamorous as a lot of people might think or hope, but it's
what needs to happen to create and maintain a top-notch program.
I'm
looking forward to seeing you at one of our scrimmages this fall.
|
 |
Healthy
choice
Not
only do FIU's student athletes need to be academically and physically
talented and strong, but they need to be healthy too. Robert Dollinger,
medical director of FIU's Health Care and Wellness Center and the
medical doctor for the athletes, tries to ensure that they are.
All
FIU student athletes, including the new football players, must undergo
a complete physical and a series of health tests to determine their
eligibility to play on a team.
"Our
goal is to have healthy students learning and competing," said Dollinger.
"Parents entrust their sons and daughters to our care, and we take
that very seriously."
All
student athletes are screened medically and their weight, height,
blood pressure, heart rate and pulse are checked. The athletes'
vision and hearing are also tested, and they are screened for tuberculosis,
have urine tests and receive tetanus shots. Student athletes are
also given EKGs and, if an abnormality is found, they are referred
to a cardiologist. Students who are found to have a possible health
problem or concern are further evaluated, and their playing time
is adjusted accordingly.
Students
are tested at FIU's Health Care and Wellness Center, which offers
a wide range of primary care medical services to the athletes and
the university student population at large.
|
 Hurlie
Brown
FIU Defensive Back Coach |
Calling
the shots coach profile
Hurlie
Brown FIU Defensive Back Coach
In
a year marked with "firsts," Hurlie Brown is one of the latest on
the FIU football team. Named the first FIU defensive back coach
in history earlier this year, Brown is getting down to business
right away.
"The
key will be to establish a strong foundation for our team at the
very beginning," said Brown. "The coaches are probably more excited
about the team than anyone else. We are putting all we've got behind
this team to make it successful, and the first game can't come soon
enough. We've got a lot of work to do, but it's going to be a lot
of fun, too."
Formerly
the defensive back/running back coach at Merritt Island High School
in Florida, Brown brings three years of coaching experience and
six years professional playing experience including one year
each with the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers
and a college career played under Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson
at the University of Miami.
Brown
was a football and academic standout as a student at Merritt Island
High, from which he graduated in 1987 and won a scholarship to UM.
He
was drafted by the Redskins in 1991, traded to San Francisco the
following year, and later went to play for the Sacramento Gold Miners,
the San Antonio Texans and the Montreal Alouettes from 1992-97.
Brown,
however, transitioned to the sidelines very early in his career.
He served as an undergraduate assistant to Erickson, coaching defensive
backs at UM in 1991. After leaving Montreal in 1997, he began working
at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, with special teams and
defensive backs. In 1999 he returned to Merritt Island and coached
under Head Coach Gerald Hodges before joining FIU this year.
"Hurlie
has played under some of the finest coaches in the game, including
Joe Gibbs and George Seiffert, and just as importantly, he's learned
from them," said Strock. "He
has the experience and knowledge to make a strong contribution to
this team and the creation of this program."
|
|
Prices
are:
VIP
Package - $125 per season ticket
Panther
Fan Package - $90
Panther
Alumni/Employee Fan Package - $80
Family
Fun Zone Package
(2 adults; 3 children) - $180 Reserved End Zone Package - $54 |
GOLDEN PANTHER TICKETS DON'T BE LEFT OUT - GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS NOW! BE
A PART OF THE ACTION, RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING! FIU's Season
Ticket packages are available for you, your family and friends.
Just call 305-348-GAME (4263) or toll-free 1-866-348-GAME (4263)
to order your season tickets today!
|
|
STROCKTALK
Editor
Todd M.-P. Simmons, simmonst@fiu.edu * Associate Editor Aileen Izquierdo,
izquierd@fiu.edu * Design FIU Publications * For comments or questions
call 305-348-2232
|
|
