TWO BITS: Brissett the baller, Robinson’s journey

1 » A four-star quarterback coming out of high school who received a full ride to play on the gridiron for the Florida Gators, Jacoby Brissett has stated on more than one occasion that he also hopes to play basketball at the collegiate level. Why? Because of a promise he made his mother when he was younger. “My mom told me to keep my options open,” Brissett told The Washington Post. “I can’t go back on what she said. […] I came to Dwyer to play basketball and I made a promise to my [football] coach that whichever sport I got my first scholarship offer from, I would stick to.” The Post reports that Brissett was initially offered a football scholarship from Boston College as a freshman in high school. He also confirmed what Florida’s coaches have said, that playing basketball is a decision he is free to make for himself.

2 » Continuing his series of feature stories about the newest members of the Gators coaching staff, University of Flordia senior writer Scott Carter sat down with defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson for a one-on-one interview. Robinson told Carter that he would have committed to and played for Florida (if they had offered him a scholarship) and has a great appreciation for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and its intimidating atmosphere for opponents. “I’ve been on the wrong side of this stadium before. It’s a pretty hostile environment, a tough place to play,” Robinson says he tells prospective players. “It’s one of the best stadiums I’ve ever been in. It’s just nice to be on this side.” He also discussed how head coach Will Muschamp has helped him navigate his young coaching career including giving him an ultimatium early on. “It’s a tremendous honor to be a part of his first staff,” Robinson said. “It means a lot to me and my family to work with a guy who we share the same beliefs. He taught me everything I know pretty much about this coaching profession.”

Below is a portion of Carter’s interview with Robinson. To read the rest, just click here.

Q: Since he has been such a huge influence, what is the most prominent lesson you have taken from Coach Muschamp?
A: The biggest lesson I take from Coach Muschamp is to work at a level that your opponent is unable and unwilling to match. That’s what we talk about all the time. We want to outwork guys in recruiting, we want to outwork guys in preparation, we want to outwork guys in teaching technique. We work, work, work.

Q: You played defensive back and now you coach them. What makes an ideal defensive back?
A: The No. 1 criteria and pedigree for a successful defensive back is confidence. Often times, especially for a corner, you are going to be out on an island. There are 90,000 people in the stands – and assuming everyone has two eyeballs – that’s 180,000 eyeballs watching you, so when the ball goes up, all the attention is on you. You are on the grand stage. When you think of it like that, you’ve got to have guts. If you have the fundamentals and the mentality, you can be successful.