Robertson anchors veteran defensive line

Darrell Robertson has made a name for himself over the last two seasons at Tech. As a two-season starter, he has racked up sacks and tackles for loss as well as any Tech defensive end before him. Robertson strives week in and week out to be the first player on the defense in the offense's backfield.

"I approach [the position] more as causing destruction in the backfield. Playing on the line of scrimmage is not really ideal, the point is to get in the backfield and cause as much trouble as possible," Robertson said.

When Robertson arrived at Tech, he was an undersized defensive end that looked more like a linebacker than a lineman. Over the next three seasons, he gained 50 pounds and fit the mold of a lineman much better.

"Picking up weight is all about work ethic. If you want to, you're going to do it. It's not really a problem," Robertson said.

Robertson's strength in the game is in his pass rushing ability. Against Boston College, the Eagles were threatening to score their second touchdown of the game when Robertson flew around the offensive line and blind-sided quarterback Matt Ryan. The hit forced a fumble and saved Tech from a two touchdown deficit early in the game.

"He didn't see me and that's all that counts. I just saw him doing a three-step drop and worked on getting there as fast as I can," Robertson said.

Robertson is a physical threat on the game field as well as the practice field. His teammates appreciate his effort and preparation for the game.

"He's an effort guy, all effort. All of our defensive ends are, Adamm Oliver and Michael Johnson as well. Real good effort guy, great pass rusher," said starting offensive guard Nate McManus.

Robertson uses his physical attributes well in the pass rush, but one of his best qualities may be his hands.

"He has his strong grip and his longer arms, against a lineman with shorter arms, trying to play straight up. He can pull you forward, get you off-balance he can immediately come back with one of his speed moves to the outside and you're beat....The way Calvin [Johnson] could just grab the ball out of anywhere, he can just grab your chest or the back of your shoulder pads out of anywhere," McManus said.

Whether Robertson uses those hands to push off the ground or off a lineman, there is no denying he uses them as well as any of the other members on the line. Robertson has stuck to his credo of getting into the backfield as quickly as possible this season. He has already surpassed last season's total of four tackles for loss.

Of course playing on a line with talented players like Oliver, Johnson and Darryl Richard has never been a bad thing.

"It makes it a lot easier; Richard is one of the best tackles. If you block him with one person, he's going to beat you. He demands double teams and that takes the load off of me sometimes," Robertson said.

Oliver has the attention as the All-ACC defensive end, with Johnson's talent also developing. The three of them make up one of the best experienced defensive lines in the nation.

"I like single attention; it makes it easier for me....I see double teams and they might chip with a back or bring a guard around. They always try to have someone else come along to stop me from getting behind them," Robertson said.

Even with the talent Tech has on the line, Boston College was a wake -up call for the Jackets to make some improvements on both sides of the ball. They took steps towards this improvement with the game against Clemson. This will need to continue if Tech wants to win another Coastal division title and make a trip back to Jacksonville.

"That's always in the back of our minds. When we begin the season, we always want to win an ACC championship. Even though we lost [that] week, that's still our goal: just come out, play hard and we're going to get ourselves back there," Robertson said.