TAMPA – The program is in its 46th year of existence, but nobody’s stayed longer than six. They’re in the playoffs for the ninth time since 2000. They were 5-5 at the end of the regular season last year, yet advanced to the regional finals in Class 7A after starting 1-3. This season, they’re 6-4 and district runners-up to Plant City. Head Coach Jayson Roberts, in his fifth season surpassed CC Culpepper for all-time winningest coach at Tech last month in his win over Lennard on live television. Things are looking up now, but they weren’t even remotely close to “up” following a 19-3 loss to Plant City and sitting at 3-3.
The trials and tribulations of this season may not have been any more rewarding for Roberts and his staff, though. Literally a month ago, they were 3-4 following a loss to Armwood and minus starters–senior starters at that. The downward spiral had begun, right? No. The resurrection–or better yet–the resurgence had begun with a loss. The downward spiral was already in place after the loss at PC.
It’s hard to classify TBT’s success as a “turnaround” when they were picked to be one of the toughest teams in the entire region. It’s easy to classify it as a turnaround based on where they were at heading into that week of preparation for Armwood following the debacle that had been the first six weeks of the season. The lessons that Roberts and his staff are trying to implement dwarf what it is they’re trying on the gridiron. They had to suspend senior leaders for their game against a team that fans and supporters thought would result in a 60-point blowout when in reality the game went with TBT leading Armwood at the half and leading late into the fourth quarter.
The point that the young coach was trying to make was that even in a loss, there’s teachable moments and a belief system can be reassured–if the message is on point and the young men under his guidance would be willing to accept that message–no matter how sour the taste left in their mouths–not unlike a parent would have to enforce.
We caught up with Coach Roberts this morning and he gave us his perspective on this season–as well as and the apples to oranges comparison to last season along with what it meant to him to instill the right way–more so than the winning way. Here now, is Jayson Roberts in his own words.
BCP: Coach–can you call it a “turnaround”–because unlike last season–this year’s edition of the Titans SHOULD have been playing at this level from the very get-go. What’s the comparison–if any–to last season?
Jayson Roberts: “Each season is different. You really can’t compare two teams–the personalities are so different–the makeup of the team is so different–this team is so different even though a lot of the players are the same. It’s just so much different than it was last year.”
BCP: The articles about the trials and tribulations of the season are out there–along with your quotes about those– plus the public suspensions of some your best players in games it wasn’t cool to have them suspended. What was the message day-and-night regarding these issues? Was there some sort of magic potion involved or what? We definitely got the sense that you frustrated–especially with you seniors.
Jayson Roberts: “I was. I definitely was. We’ve got a great group of kids, but they’re very typical of kids in this generation and we weren’t really seeing the whole team concept as a goal as much as we were seeing kids interested in their own personal goals. I think it took a little bit of myself and my staff to kind of force those guys to see that hey–we’re gonna do this with-or-without you. It took a few extreme measures, but I feel like the turnaround in our season was going into the Armwood week. We sat down three of our starters–two of them were seniors–senior captains as that–once that happened the message resonated with everybody that the coaches mean what they say. You’re gonna do it their way–or no way. I think since that point–we’ve been a more complete team–we’ve played better ball as a team–we’ve had guys playing for each other and not their own personal glory.”
BCP: Is it safe to say–no matter what happens in the playoffs–that based off the fact that you felt like the season turned in a week that you lost, that you might look back on this season as your best or perhaps your favorite season at Tech given all of the circumstances you’ve had to address and overcome?
Jayson Roberts: “I think so. I think that (to me) I’m going to look back on this season as the turning point in our program–not just me as leader, but as a turning point for our program as a whole from the staff, to myself being a relatively young coach and so on. I had some things brought to my attention this season and really got to open my eyes to how some of the other things work in this business on how an Armwood–or a Plant–would still do these things to drive the message home–like it’s not uncommon for a Coach Weiner to suspended his two top guys going into a big game and it doesn’t matter–it’s how it translates into the message sent to the team a whole. To be successful and to be champions it has to be that way. Going forward it’s something that’s going to help as a program to get over that hump form being one of the ‘really good’ teams to being one of those ‘elite’ teams.”
BCP: People often forget that staffs are there to help young men become better men, but there’s also a point of emphasis on the adults (aka the staffs) to development themselves into better leaders as well. The adults have to grow as well, right?
Jayson Roberts: “EXACTLY.”
BCP: Did you think it was a huge gamble to do what you did with the suspensions? Or was it a simple acceptance of the reality of the position as a head coach and that there’s no gambling involved–these are the breaks and the consequences for those breaks?
Jayson Roberts: “It seemed like it (gambling) at the time, because there’s a risk involved–going into that Armwood week it was amazing at some of the phone calls I received from parents and other players–saying that I was sabotaging the season–asking me what I was doing–that we were playing against Armwood–you’re trying to get my child embarrassed–we’re gonna lose by 50-60 points–those were the types of messages. BUT–if you see the bigger picture and use this game as a tool–as an avenue for young men to grow–it’s something that has to happen. It’s not only good for them, it’s good for your program because it sends the message across the board that nobody is bigger than the team. There’s nobody above the individual standards–that everyone will be held to those standards.”
BCP: In a school that doesn’t have defined borders–you’re working to establish a working community like it was a neighborhood school–that’s the end game, right coach?
Jayson Roberts: “Exactly. You have to. It’s the one risk you have at this school–but I feel like, deep-down inside kids crave structure. From the outside looking in, it’s easy to see where the divide exists with transfers and everything. That’s always true–but I feel like if you give them that structure regardless and give it to them in a positive way that the impact goes forever. If it’s that message of–I’m not trying to hurt you–but help you–they’ll buy-in.”
BCP: Coach–we saw the pictures of you standing on the sidelines at Clemson this past weekend–we all know why–how happy were you to get to see Deion (Cain) do his thing against the ‘Noles? How did that feel, coach?
Jayson Roberts: “It was an awesome feeling. I felt like a proud papa, man. I told some some of the coaches from Clemson that as happy as we were with him scoring the touchdown and all that–the part I took the most pride in was following the game and listening to him talk in his post game press conference. He just sounds like a humbled young man that waiting on greatness. He was articulating himself and everything he said was just so well-thought–that’s what I took the most pride in.”
BCP: It’s on your boys on the roster this season to watch that–and emulate that sort of humility isn’t it? They all can’t be EXACTLY like Deion, but they can learn a few things from Saturday Night as well, right coach?
Jayson Roberts: “Exactly. I always go back and use him as an example–it’s actually funny (now, of course) that the suspensions the week of the Armwood game coincided with him (Deion) being suspended for the Miami game the following week because of some disciplinary reasons. It gave us a great platform honestly to say–listen, even at that level–somebody that’s a “Five-Star” can get the wrath and have to suffer the consequences of their actions.”
