One-on-One with Andre Roberts

Andre, these 5:30 a.m. workouts look pretty rugged with the tractor tires and weight sleds I'm looking at.

"Yeah, they are pretty tough. Coach (Donnell) Boucher, he likes to look up the toughest things for us to do. He travels around to the top programs. He brought us one drill from the University of West Virginia, so we are doing the same things the top teams are doing out here.

"Every time we come out there, it's something different. We can't really expect anything, except to work hard to be the best in the Southern Conference."

Doing all these different drills must be better than just running and lifting weights.

"Definitely. We don't want to do the same things every day, over and over and over. So he does keep it interesting. We're getting closer and closer to camp, so we have to get conditioned for that."

Coach (Kevin) Higgins has really emphasized everyone on the team putting on weight and getting stronger this year. Can you see that happening?

"We emphasize that every summer. The summer time is when you work the hardest and work the most for the season. That's when everyone comes together and gets on it from day one."

These workouts are supposedly "voluntary." What gets 70 to 90 players out here at 5:30 a.m.?

"It's more of player concept. None of the coaches can be involved in the summer time, so we try to take it on ourselves. As captains and veterans, the older guys said we want everyone here in the summer. And it's pretty much player-related punishment, since the coaches can't be involved. We just harp on each other to be here."

After the career you've had, it's hard to believe that The Citadel and Coastal Carolina were your only offers out of Spring Valley High School. Was that disappointing at the time?

"Of course, I was disappointed, because every player has those dreams of going to the big school. But once I got here and understood what I had to do and established myself, there was no disappointment. When I got into the system, I understood I had to be a playmaker for this team."

After being named All-America and touted as an NFL prospect, you will be even more of a target for opposing defenses this year. How will you deal with that?

"It's just more motivation. You know teams will key on certain guys, and last year they keyed on me and will again this year. But you have to understand you have to make plays no matter how many men they have on you."

How hard is it not to look ahead and wonder what kind of shot you will get at the NFL?

"It's real hard. You hear it from the outside, you are ranked this in the nation, you're predicted to go in this round in the NFL. You just to keep a level head and understand you have your senior year to play and plenty of things to do before you get to that level."

Your old quarterback at Spring Valley, B.J. Phillips, will be a tight end for the Bulldogs this year. Think you'll put in a play where they pitch it to B.J. and he throws it to you like the old days?

"That's all up to Coach (Dave) Cecchini. I don't know if I can get away with that or not."