- Joined
- Nov 24, 2012
- Messages
- 2,624
- Name
- News Bot
Jim Thomas
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/fear-the-beard-healthy-brockers-ready-to-take-next-step/article_17456f58-f2e6-5af7-a0fd-903790138cc7.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 38cc7.html</a>
Michael Brockers’ beard can best be described as prolific, even biblical.
“It’s coming along very well,” said Brockers, the Rams’ second-year defensive tackle. “At LSU, I just had a little chin (hair) going, but now I think the all-out beard really makes me look dominant. Beard equals sacks. And I think sacks are good for me right now.”
Brockers was joking, but the goal definitely is to take the next step as an NFL defensive tackle, whether it’s sacks, tackles for loss — what have you — and become a force in the middle of the St. Louis front four.
“Mike did a great job coming back off the high ankle (sprain), and really finished up strong toward the second half of the (2012) season,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s worked very hard. He’s changed his body, and we think he can be a dominating player inside.”
A high ankle sprain in the Rams’ 2012 preseason finale against Baltimore sidelined Brockers for the first three games of his rookie season. High ankle sprains can take forever to heal — just ask Sam Bradford — and Brockers felt lingering effects of the injury throughout the season.
Even so, he came on strong over the second half of the year, playing very much like the No. 14 overall pick in the draft. At season’s end, he joined cornerback Janoris Jenkins as the first Rams since 2003 to make the NFL’s all-rookie team. Brockers’ season totals included 63 tackles, four sacks and 17 QB pressures or hits. All in all it made for a good start in the NFL, but Brockers wants more this season.
“I can’t even see the ceiling yet,” Brockers said during practices in June. “I want to keep progressing from here on in, and I just keep doing my thing. The ankle is fine. I have no excuses now and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself to do great things.”
The high ankle sprain, to Brockers’ right ankle, is long behind him. In addition, Brockers underwent cleanup surgery in February to remove bone chips in his left ankle. He believes that procedure corrected carryover symptoms from an injury at LSU that irritated his foot last season.
“When I’m in my stance, it really pinched on nerves,” Brockers said after a recent training camp practice. “Now that that’s out I can just feel me being more explosive off the ball, getting in the backfield real quick.”
Brockers now has two good wheels and has increased his overall weight and upper-body strength.
“He’s changed his body,” Fisher said. “He’s gained some weight, but it’s good weight. He’s gained a tremendous amount of strength.”
Brockers weighed in at 325 pounds for training camp after playing around 318 to 320 as a rookie. An extra five to seven pounds may not sound like much, but for a finely tuned pro athlete it can make a noticeable difference.
“It can help a lot as far as playing the run, holding double teams, and just being a force in the middle,” Brockers said. “I’ve been training the same. I just feel like this year I put on more muscle mass. I can feel it.”
But the bigger, stronger version of Brockers is nonetheless a faster Brockers.
“That’s the crazy thing, adding weight and then getting quicker than I was,” Brockers said.
The added strength and slight increase in bulk should make Brockers tougher to budge on run defense, which in turn should help Rams linebackers get to the ball carrier.
Throw in the extra quickness that comes with having a pair of healthy ankles and Brockers hopes to be more of a force on the pass rush. When opposing QBs feel pressure from defensive ends coming off the edge, the natural instinct is to step up in the pocket. But if Brockers can simply push the pocket on a more consistent basis, much less break through the line, that escape hatch is gone. QBs will have no place to hide.
As with many of his teammates, the summer break between the end of OTAs and the start of training camp wasn’t really a break for Brockers. Instead of working at Rams Park, he simply switched venues to Baton Rouge, La., and Louisiana State University.
Why did he keep working? Because when training camp starts, “You gotta hit it running,” Brockers said. “I’m 100 percent. I feel better. I’m playing better. I can turn the corner better. It’s sad news for the other team but for me it’s great news.”
Because beard, plus strength and quickness, could equal more sacks.
“I don’t think I can get rid of” the beard, Brockers said. “You know, like (Fisher) with the ‘stache? I think I’ve gotta keep the beard. Just trim it up a little bit, that’s all it needs.”
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/fear-the-beard-healthy-brockers-ready-to-take-next-step/article_17456f58-f2e6-5af7-a0fd-903790138cc7.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 38cc7.html</a>
Michael Brockers’ beard can best be described as prolific, even biblical.
“It’s coming along very well,” said Brockers, the Rams’ second-year defensive tackle. “At LSU, I just had a little chin (hair) going, but now I think the all-out beard really makes me look dominant. Beard equals sacks. And I think sacks are good for me right now.”
Brockers was joking, but the goal definitely is to take the next step as an NFL defensive tackle, whether it’s sacks, tackles for loss — what have you — and become a force in the middle of the St. Louis front four.
“Mike did a great job coming back off the high ankle (sprain), and really finished up strong toward the second half of the (2012) season,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s worked very hard. He’s changed his body, and we think he can be a dominating player inside.”
A high ankle sprain in the Rams’ 2012 preseason finale against Baltimore sidelined Brockers for the first three games of his rookie season. High ankle sprains can take forever to heal — just ask Sam Bradford — and Brockers felt lingering effects of the injury throughout the season.
Even so, he came on strong over the second half of the year, playing very much like the No. 14 overall pick in the draft. At season’s end, he joined cornerback Janoris Jenkins as the first Rams since 2003 to make the NFL’s all-rookie team. Brockers’ season totals included 63 tackles, four sacks and 17 QB pressures or hits. All in all it made for a good start in the NFL, but Brockers wants more this season.
“I can’t even see the ceiling yet,” Brockers said during practices in June. “I want to keep progressing from here on in, and I just keep doing my thing. The ankle is fine. I have no excuses now and I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself to do great things.”
The high ankle sprain, to Brockers’ right ankle, is long behind him. In addition, Brockers underwent cleanup surgery in February to remove bone chips in his left ankle. He believes that procedure corrected carryover symptoms from an injury at LSU that irritated his foot last season.
“When I’m in my stance, it really pinched on nerves,” Brockers said after a recent training camp practice. “Now that that’s out I can just feel me being more explosive off the ball, getting in the backfield real quick.”
Brockers now has two good wheels and has increased his overall weight and upper-body strength.
“He’s changed his body,” Fisher said. “He’s gained some weight, but it’s good weight. He’s gained a tremendous amount of strength.”
Brockers weighed in at 325 pounds for training camp after playing around 318 to 320 as a rookie. An extra five to seven pounds may not sound like much, but for a finely tuned pro athlete it can make a noticeable difference.
“It can help a lot as far as playing the run, holding double teams, and just being a force in the middle,” Brockers said. “I’ve been training the same. I just feel like this year I put on more muscle mass. I can feel it.”
But the bigger, stronger version of Brockers is nonetheless a faster Brockers.
“That’s the crazy thing, adding weight and then getting quicker than I was,” Brockers said.
The added strength and slight increase in bulk should make Brockers tougher to budge on run defense, which in turn should help Rams linebackers get to the ball carrier.
Throw in the extra quickness that comes with having a pair of healthy ankles and Brockers hopes to be more of a force on the pass rush. When opposing QBs feel pressure from defensive ends coming off the edge, the natural instinct is to step up in the pocket. But if Brockers can simply push the pocket on a more consistent basis, much less break through the line, that escape hatch is gone. QBs will have no place to hide.
As with many of his teammates, the summer break between the end of OTAs and the start of training camp wasn’t really a break for Brockers. Instead of working at Rams Park, he simply switched venues to Baton Rouge, La., and Louisiana State University.
Why did he keep working? Because when training camp starts, “You gotta hit it running,” Brockers said. “I’m 100 percent. I feel better. I’m playing better. I can turn the corner better. It’s sad news for the other team but for me it’s great news.”
Because beard, plus strength and quickness, could equal more sacks.
“I don’t think I can get rid of” the beard, Brockers said. “You know, like (Fisher) with the ‘stache? I think I’ve gotta keep the beard. Just trim it up a little bit, that’s all it needs.”
