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Ever wish there were more hours in a day? Ever want that extra four hours to cram because your professor feels the need to slam you with midterms, LeBron-James style? Or ever want to catch up on valuable sleep that would get rid of the vegetable-like feeling that is oh-so-normal this time of the year? Be thankful for the time you have, because dual-sport athlete Brian Robison feels little remorse for you.
Robison, a sophomore track-and-field All-Big 12 performer last year, as well as a soon-to-be key ingredient on Greg Robinson and Dick Tomey's defense, has little time for anything beyond academics and sports.
"My girlfriend's been giving me a hard time lately. I have had little time for her or any of my friends," Robison said. "I haven't had time to even talk to my family."
On Saturday, Robison threw a personal-best 61-5.75 feet before heading over to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to compete in the Spring Jamboree as a defensive end.
The toss in the relays qualified Robison in the B-section of the Olympic trials. The "B" athletes will be included in the Olympic trials only if additional competitors are needed to fill the slated field size set for the "A" mark of 65-7 1/2 feet.
"It's all about pushing myself to the limit," Robison said. But when is the limit finally reached?
Saturday's spring game was a fun day for Robison. In the previous weeks before the game, his daily activities began with football meetings at 6:30 a.m., workout and track practices from 8-10 a.m., class until 2 p.m., then football practice until the sun sets.
Robison's day fails to finish there. He then begins his studies, which Robison personally weighs heavier than the pair of sports he plays.
"School is definitely number one - you always have to have something to fall back on," Robison said. "If you don't make the grades, you can't compete."
Robison has excelled thus far in the outdoor track-and-field season, which began on March 20th at the Hurricane Invitational. There, Robison tossed a personal best of 59-2.75, earning him Big 12 Athlete of the Week honors.
"To get someone else's recognition means a lot, but as far as going out there, it doesn't help me at all," Robison said. "I realize that since I got that award, it doesn't mean I am the best - it means I have to work hard in order to keep that high standard."
After earning the Athlete of the Week accolade, he bettered his toss by over two feet in the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. He credits his improvements in the throwing events to his work ethic and increasingly relaxed state.
"Last year was more of a learning experience. I was trying to change my techniques," Robison said. "This year I am polishing up my throws, and I see improvement on a weekly basis."
Now that football is out of the way, the load is a tad bit lighter for the sophomore. But preparation for the track meets gets more intense, and Robison now has the luxury to focus primarily on track. The dual-athlete now aims for a shot to put him on the Longhorn Hall of Fame. It is clear that Robison is eyeing Oskar Jakobsson's record of 67-7 1/2 feet that was recorded in the 1982 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"That record may be pushing things this year," Robison said. "My goal is to break it next year. If I concentrate on my technique, I should be able to get in the 63-65-feet range."
This weekend, Bubba Thornton's track-and-field squad is split, sending distance runners to the A&M Invitational in College Station, and the rest to Tempe, Ariz., to compete in the Sun Angel Classic. Both events are scheduled for Saturday, April 10.
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