Oct. 3, 2001
By Marianne Stoess – Host Communications
A humble attitude is a rarity in the world of sports today. Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson is one of these rarities. While he may seem intimidating and overpowering, looks can be deceiving.
Sure, he is big, standing 6’3″ tall and weighing in at 311 pounds. And, yes he can run over any offensive line without too much trouble. But this soft-spoken man isn’t looking to bully anyone off the field and he isn’t looking for accolades and praise. Robertson is more interested in working hard and giving nothing less than his best effort. And on those occasions when things go well and his hard work results in success, he doesn’t want all of the fame and glory. He would rather recognize those who have helped him along the way and pay respect to all of those whom he admires – the coaches he has had along the way including Kentucky defensive tackles coach Tom Adams and head coach Guy Morriss.
“I admire everything about Coach Morriss,” said Robertson. “He has changed everything around and does everything at a high-tempo pace just like the games. He is helping us get better and is preparing us for the future.”
Robertson has been through some adversity while at UK – a 2-9 record his first season and an overhaul of the coaching staff during the off-season – but feels the challenges have made the team stronger and brought them closer together. “The guys are much closer this year,” said Robertson. “We have all been through a lot together and this is such a family environment. The guys on this team really care about each other and I think people can see that.”
Robertson arrived at the University of Kentucky after an outstanding high school career. He was a four-year starter at both offensive and defensive tackle. He helped lead Melrose High School (Memphis, Tenn.) to a Class AAAA state championship and a 14-1 record in 1998. He was named an honorable mention All-America by USA Today and rated the No. 2 prospect in Tennessee and the No. 31 defensive lineman in the country by SuperPrep.
It was at Melrose High School that Robertson learned how to win and learned the value of hard work. Robertson credits his high school coach, Tim Thompson, with teaching him the importance of dedication and perseverance. “My high school coach once told me, ‘If it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t working hard enough,’ ” said Robertson. “Meaning that getting to where you want to be and achieving your goals requires hard work, struggles and sacrifices. In the end when you reach your goals, those struggles and sacrifices make you appreciate your accomplishments more. I keep that saying in my locker to remind me every day to go out and work hard.”
When it came time to choose a college, Robertson narrowed it down to two schools in the Southeastern Conference, Alabama and Kentucky. Once the Wildcats offered him a scholarship, Robertson was more than happy to make the move to Lexington.
“I didn’t know what a great program Kentucky had until I came here for my visit,” said Robertson. “They offered me a scholarship and I was excited to come. Coach Adams wanted me to come here and I wanted the chance to play for him. Plus Kentucky plays a lot of freshmen and I was looking to get in the game right from the start, so this was the perfect place for me.”
In his first season with the Wildcats, Robertson lived up to his billing, doing a little bit of everything for the Wildcats. He started all 11 games at defensive tackle. He earned Freshman All-SEC honors, tallying 40 tackles and ranked second on the team in tackles for a loss with 13.5. Robertson was called the hero of the Indiana game, causing two fumbles that resulted in Wildcat touchdowns and he intercepted a pass and returned it nine yards against SEC foe Mississippi State.
During the off-season, Robertson dropped nearly 20 pounds, hoping to improve his quickness, making him even more dangerous on the line. And Robertson has picked up right where he left off last season. In the season opener against Louisville, Robertson tallied 10 tackles. A sprained ankle early in the Ball State game slowed him a bit, but he expects to be back at full speed to take on the Gators.
Robertson is looking for improvement in himself this season, hoping to add to his list of accomplishments, but more importantly, to add to the team’s success. “I want to go out and work harder than I did last year,” said Robertson. “I want to improve a little bit every day and to accomplish things that I didn’t accomplish last year. And hopefully, that will lead to the team accomplishing more as well.”
