Cowboys Insider: Stanback's work in the weight room helped make him a 'phenomenal athlete'
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
Terrell Owens is in danger of losing his unofficial title as the most ripped Cowboy. If bulging biceps and six-pack abs are a guarantee of NFL success, fourth-round draft pick Isaiah Stanback could be well on his way to an outstanding pro career.
This kid is cut. And, according to his strength and conditioning coach at the University of Washington, he’ll live in the weight room at Valley Ranch.
“There’s no doubt Isaiah was blessed with some gifts,” Trent Greener said via telephone from Seattle. “But there are a lot of people like that. “He’s worked real hard and his body is a reflection of that.”
Jeff Ireland, the Cowboys scouting director, calls Stanback a “phenomenal athlete.” And Greener says there’s no hyperbole in Ireland’s comment, noting Stanback has bench pressed 365 pounds.
“For a guy who is 210 to 215 pounds, that’s pretty good,” Greener said. “He’s also a very good power cleaner and a good squatter. And for a guy who is running all the time, that’s not easy.”
In addition to playing quarterback for the Huskies, Stanback was also an outstanding sprinter. Last spring, he was a finalist in the Pac-10 championships in the 100 meters and has clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash.
“The thing about him is he’s always involved in some form of competition,” Greener said. “He’s a guy who worked year round. He played football, ran indoor track, played spring football and then ran outdoor track. He’s always competing and putting it on the line. That, more than anything else, has made him a special person.”
Stanback’s desire to improve also impressed Greener.
“He’s very coachable and always found ways to try to make himself better,” Greener said. “He would always come into the office and talk about nutrition. He’s just a very diligent, very intelligent guy. Plus, he’s fun to be around.”
Stanback’s upbeat personality and high football IQ made an impression on the Cowboys during interviews at the NFL combine and at Valley Ranch. The club also noted he graduated in four years with a degree in American ethnic studies.
“He’s got high character and he’s very well-spoken,” Greener said. “You guys (the media) are going to have fun with him.”
The Cowboys plan to convert Stanback to receiver and are hopeful he can make an immediate impact as a punt returner.
But the team won’t be able to get a full look at his athletic skills until training camp. Stanback suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury in October and continues to rehab.
Lisfranc injuries, named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s field surgeon, are common in the NFL. The Lisfranc joint connects the metatarsal bones to the rest of the foot. The injury can be hard to realign and can also result in chronic arthritis.
Among the NFL players who have suffered Lisfranc injuries are running backs Errict Rhett, Duce Staley, Kevin Jones and Brian Westbrook; defensive backs Brian Dawkins and Ty Law; receiver Robert Ferguson; offensive tackle Mike Rosenthal; defensive end Michael Strahan; and tight end Chad Lewis.
Only Rhett failed to return. Jones and Ferguson, both injured last year, hope to be ready for the start of the 2007 season.
Shortly after the injury, Stanback underwent surgery to implant three screws into the injured right foot. He’s since had them removed and seems well on his way to a full recovery.
Still, literature on the subject says there’s a 20-25 percent chance Stanback will experience chronic pain.
“And that’s even when the surgery is in the best of hands,” said David Schmidt, the Spurs team physician. “It’s a very significant injury. When we draft, (a Lisfranc injury) would raise a little bit of a flag for us. It might not be a red flag because there is a 75-80 percent chance everything will be fine, but it would at least be orange. You’d feel better if you could see him in action before you make the pick.
“It was a gamble to draft him (in the fourth round), but it’s a pretty good gamble. I’m sure (the Cowboys) said, ‘Hey, if you are going to win 75-80 percent of the time, let’s roll the dice.’ ”
Stanback’s agent, Michael Hoffman, says his client should be ready to go by the time the Cowboys begin training camp in San Antonio on July 24. Stanback will miss next week’s mini-camp in Irving.
“If anything, he’s ahead of schedule and that’s very encouraging,” Hoffman said via telephone from Los Angeles. “He’s seven months into a rehabilitation that normally can last anywhere from eight to 12 months, and he’s already running and doing a lot of things that aren’t supposed to happen until eight months.”
That doesn’t surprise Greener.
“From the moment of the injury, he came in and did everything he could from the bellybutton up,” Greener said. “With Isaiah, you had to worry about him trying to run and do things before he was ready to. He’s not going to miss anything. He’s pretty hungry and he’s always going to push himself.”
Stanback said he expects to be fully recovered by June and looks forward to re-learning the receiver spot, a position he last played full-time as a freshman.
“I’m a fast learner,” said Stanback, who said he’s always expected to play receiver in the pros. “I’ve always preferred to play quarterback, but everybody always said I would be a receiver.”
He’s got plenty of role models. Jacksonville’s Matt Jones, Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward, Washington’s Antwaan Randle El and the Cowboys’ Patrick Crayton are all receivers who played quarterback in college.
“Without being foolish, (Stanback) has the talent and the skills of a receiver that could be a one or two,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “Certainly, he has the speed and the quickness and the size and the work ethic.”
Greener can attest to that
. “Isaiah’s a great character guy,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make it in the pros.”
Express-News Staff Writer
Terrell Owens is in danger of losing his unofficial title as the most ripped Cowboy. If bulging biceps and six-pack abs are a guarantee of NFL success, fourth-round draft pick Isaiah Stanback could be well on his way to an outstanding pro career.
This kid is cut. And, according to his strength and conditioning coach at the University of Washington, he’ll live in the weight room at Valley Ranch.
“There’s no doubt Isaiah was blessed with some gifts,” Trent Greener said via telephone from Seattle. “But there are a lot of people like that. “He’s worked real hard and his body is a reflection of that.”
Jeff Ireland, the Cowboys scouting director, calls Stanback a “phenomenal athlete.” And Greener says there’s no hyperbole in Ireland’s comment, noting Stanback has bench pressed 365 pounds.
“For a guy who is 210 to 215 pounds, that’s pretty good,” Greener said. “He’s also a very good power cleaner and a good squatter. And for a guy who is running all the time, that’s not easy.”
In addition to playing quarterback for the Huskies, Stanback was also an outstanding sprinter. Last spring, he was a finalist in the Pac-10 championships in the 100 meters and has clocked a 4.42-second 40-yard dash.
“The thing about him is he’s always involved in some form of competition,” Greener said. “He’s a guy who worked year round. He played football, ran indoor track, played spring football and then ran outdoor track. He’s always competing and putting it on the line. That, more than anything else, has made him a special person.”
Stanback’s desire to improve also impressed Greener.
“He’s very coachable and always found ways to try to make himself better,” Greener said. “He would always come into the office and talk about nutrition. He’s just a very diligent, very intelligent guy. Plus, he’s fun to be around.”
Stanback’s upbeat personality and high football IQ made an impression on the Cowboys during interviews at the NFL combine and at Valley Ranch. The club also noted he graduated in four years with a degree in American ethnic studies.
“He’s got high character and he’s very well-spoken,” Greener said. “You guys (the media) are going to have fun with him.”
The Cowboys plan to convert Stanback to receiver and are hopeful he can make an immediate impact as a punt returner.
But the team won’t be able to get a full look at his athletic skills until training camp. Stanback suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury in October and continues to rehab.
Lisfranc injuries, named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s field surgeon, are common in the NFL. The Lisfranc joint connects the metatarsal bones to the rest of the foot. The injury can be hard to realign and can also result in chronic arthritis.
Among the NFL players who have suffered Lisfranc injuries are running backs Errict Rhett, Duce Staley, Kevin Jones and Brian Westbrook; defensive backs Brian Dawkins and Ty Law; receiver Robert Ferguson; offensive tackle Mike Rosenthal; defensive end Michael Strahan; and tight end Chad Lewis.
Only Rhett failed to return. Jones and Ferguson, both injured last year, hope to be ready for the start of the 2007 season.
Shortly after the injury, Stanback underwent surgery to implant three screws into the injured right foot. He’s since had them removed and seems well on his way to a full recovery.
Still, literature on the subject says there’s a 20-25 percent chance Stanback will experience chronic pain.
“And that’s even when the surgery is in the best of hands,” said David Schmidt, the Spurs team physician. “It’s a very significant injury. When we draft, (a Lisfranc injury) would raise a little bit of a flag for us. It might not be a red flag because there is a 75-80 percent chance everything will be fine, but it would at least be orange. You’d feel better if you could see him in action before you make the pick.
“It was a gamble to draft him (in the fourth round), but it’s a pretty good gamble. I’m sure (the Cowboys) said, ‘Hey, if you are going to win 75-80 percent of the time, let’s roll the dice.’ ”
Stanback’s agent, Michael Hoffman, says his client should be ready to go by the time the Cowboys begin training camp in San Antonio on July 24. Stanback will miss next week’s mini-camp in Irving.
“If anything, he’s ahead of schedule and that’s very encouraging,” Hoffman said via telephone from Los Angeles. “He’s seven months into a rehabilitation that normally can last anywhere from eight to 12 months, and he’s already running and doing a lot of things that aren’t supposed to happen until eight months.”
That doesn’t surprise Greener.
“From the moment of the injury, he came in and did everything he could from the bellybutton up,” Greener said. “With Isaiah, you had to worry about him trying to run and do things before he was ready to. He’s not going to miss anything. He’s pretty hungry and he’s always going to push himself.”
Stanback said he expects to be fully recovered by June and looks forward to re-learning the receiver spot, a position he last played full-time as a freshman.
“I’m a fast learner,” said Stanback, who said he’s always expected to play receiver in the pros. “I’ve always preferred to play quarterback, but everybody always said I would be a receiver.”
He’s got plenty of role models. Jacksonville’s Matt Jones, Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward, Washington’s Antwaan Randle El and the Cowboys’ Patrick Crayton are all receivers who played quarterback in college.
“Without being foolish, (Stanback) has the talent and the skills of a receiver that could be a one or two,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. “Certainly, he has the speed and the quickness and the size and the work ethic.”
Greener can attest to that
. “Isaiah’s a great character guy,” he said. “I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make it in the pros.”
posted by The Gryphon at 9:41 AM
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