Miami Herald
Matt Roth talks of his love for fishing and the beach in a calm, deliberate voice and one almost forgets the Dolphins' newest defensive end plays football in a way that has nothing to do with peaceful conversations.
Just ask Robert Gallery, who got to know Roth's less gentile side during practices at Iowa several years ago.
Roth was an underclassman who was moved from the linebacker spot to the defensive end position. Gallery was at the time known as the nation's best lineman, a status later confirmed when the Oakland Raiders made him the second pick in the 2004 draft.
''I had never been in a three-point stance before,'' Roth said, ``and at first [Gallery] just whipped my butt.''
That's how Gallery treated most teammates and opponents, but Roth didn't take too kindly to the manhandling.
''I hated it,'' Roth said. ``I was just thrown into the mix against one of the best guys in the country so he whooped on me until I could hold my own.''
Roth says it took about three months to stem the tide of those one-on-one practice confrontations. And during that dark time when Roth was losing most of the battles, he hated every minute.
''I'd go home and think about it,'' Roth said. ``I was mad so I'd go and watch the older guys to see what they were doing. You know, football is important to me, and I'm really competitive. So, I did everything I could to change things.''
HIS MATCH
Eventually the nation's best offensive tackle found a match in his defensive teammate. ''He never says very much, but he's always coming full speed, full tilt,'' Gallery told reporters in Iowa during the 2003 season. ``He's a tough guy and he's developed into a great player.''
The Dolphins need Roth to make an equally impressive leap from second-round rookie selection to potential starter. While Jason Taylor is a fixture at one defensive end spot, Roth needs to push veterans Kevin Carter and David Bowens for playing time.
And Roth is showing flashes at the team's rookie minicamp that he might just do that. He has a tattoo of a flame shooting up his left leg, and it's fitting because he indeed practices with the urgency of a man on fire.
He is routinely beating offensive linemen in one-on-one drills and during one play, he slapped an opposing lineman and collapsed him to the ground. ''He plays hard, plays with a lot of toughness, he is kind of a relentless kind of competitor,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said.
Roth is showing the same intensity during these early practices he showed against Gallery. He is also showing the same competitive nature nurtured during his youth when he would wrestle with his older brother, T.J.
''I had an older brother, and he always pushed me and my dad pushed me,'' Roth said. ``Being competitive became second nature. I mean we get along great now, but we were always competing and the neighborhood kids were always outside. So instincts took over.''
But the assignment gets tougher when Roth starts facing veterans. And that's when Saban expects Roth's intense nature to pay dividends.
''I think you want those kind of things, and they can be contagious on your team,'' Saban said. ``When you get the core players on your team to display that, it makes you an overachieving team and those are the things we want to emphasize.''
NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE
Roth is careful to point out that his reputation as a tough, intense competitor doesn't present a complete picture of his personality. He calls himself, ''a cool guy,'' who enjoys time away from football.
But there is no doubt the same intensity he brings to the field can translate to his personal life. That showed two years ago when Roth found himself in an Iowa bar, an underdog in a fight against the bouncers.
''I was in a bar, and I was hanging out and one of the bouncers approached me because I wasn't attired up to the dress code,'' Roth said. ``I had a short-sleeve shirt on and so the guy came over and saw me and picked a fight. I had to defend myself. Luckily, I got out of the bar.''
He got out by fighting his way past the bouncers.
All 10 of them.
''Yeah, the number has been blown out of proportion,'' Roth said. ``Somebody said it was 30, but it was only 10 of them.''
You fought 10 bouncers?
''Yeah, well,'' Roth said, ``I just defended myself.''
The Dolphins need that kind of defense. But that seems too far off for Roth because he is simply concentrating on improving and merely making the team.
''I'm living the dream now,'' Roth said. ``I played football since I was 4 years old. I wasn't one of those guys that started in high school. So I can appreciate this. I watched all the stars and all the big-time players growing up and being one of them was a lifetime dream. Not too many people get to pursue that. I get that chance.''
To ensure his chances, Roth promises to practice in Miami with the same intensity he showed during those long-ago battles against Gallery. But for South Florida bouncers who might become wary of Roth's reputation, he believes he will be able to turn his passion to moderation when he escapes the football field. ''It's easy,'' Roth said. ``I go hard during practice so afterward I can just go home and go to sleep.''
今年からガンガン活躍、期待しております。
Matt Roth talks of his love for fishing and the beach in a calm, deliberate voice and one almost forgets the Dolphins' newest defensive end plays football in a way that has nothing to do with peaceful conversations.
Just ask Robert Gallery, who got to know Roth's less gentile side during practices at Iowa several years ago.
Roth was an underclassman who was moved from the linebacker spot to the defensive end position. Gallery was at the time known as the nation's best lineman, a status later confirmed when the Oakland Raiders made him the second pick in the 2004 draft.
''I had never been in a three-point stance before,'' Roth said, ``and at first [Gallery] just whipped my butt.''
That's how Gallery treated most teammates and opponents, but Roth didn't take too kindly to the manhandling.
''I hated it,'' Roth said. ``I was just thrown into the mix against one of the best guys in the country so he whooped on me until I could hold my own.''
Roth says it took about three months to stem the tide of those one-on-one practice confrontations. And during that dark time when Roth was losing most of the battles, he hated every minute.
''I'd go home and think about it,'' Roth said. ``I was mad so I'd go and watch the older guys to see what they were doing. You know, football is important to me, and I'm really competitive. So, I did everything I could to change things.''
HIS MATCH
Eventually the nation's best offensive tackle found a match in his defensive teammate. ''He never says very much, but he's always coming full speed, full tilt,'' Gallery told reporters in Iowa during the 2003 season. ``He's a tough guy and he's developed into a great player.''
The Dolphins need Roth to make an equally impressive leap from second-round rookie selection to potential starter. While Jason Taylor is a fixture at one defensive end spot, Roth needs to push veterans Kevin Carter and David Bowens for playing time.
And Roth is showing flashes at the team's rookie minicamp that he might just do that. He has a tattoo of a flame shooting up his left leg, and it's fitting because he indeed practices with the urgency of a man on fire.
He is routinely beating offensive linemen in one-on-one drills and during one play, he slapped an opposing lineman and collapsed him to the ground. ''He plays hard, plays with a lot of toughness, he is kind of a relentless kind of competitor,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said.
Roth is showing the same intensity during these early practices he showed against Gallery. He is also showing the same competitive nature nurtured during his youth when he would wrestle with his older brother, T.J.
''I had an older brother, and he always pushed me and my dad pushed me,'' Roth said. ``Being competitive became second nature. I mean we get along great now, but we were always competing and the neighborhood kids were always outside. So instincts took over.''
But the assignment gets tougher when Roth starts facing veterans. And that's when Saban expects Roth's intense nature to pay dividends.
''I think you want those kind of things, and they can be contagious on your team,'' Saban said. ``When you get the core players on your team to display that, it makes you an overachieving team and those are the things we want to emphasize.''
NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE
Roth is careful to point out that his reputation as a tough, intense competitor doesn't present a complete picture of his personality. He calls himself, ''a cool guy,'' who enjoys time away from football.
But there is no doubt the same intensity he brings to the field can translate to his personal life. That showed two years ago when Roth found himself in an Iowa bar, an underdog in a fight against the bouncers.
''I was in a bar, and I was hanging out and one of the bouncers approached me because I wasn't attired up to the dress code,'' Roth said. ``I had a short-sleeve shirt on and so the guy came over and saw me and picked a fight. I had to defend myself. Luckily, I got out of the bar.''
He got out by fighting his way past the bouncers.
All 10 of them.
''Yeah, the number has been blown out of proportion,'' Roth said. ``Somebody said it was 30, but it was only 10 of them.''
You fought 10 bouncers?
''Yeah, well,'' Roth said, ``I just defended myself.''
The Dolphins need that kind of defense. But that seems too far off for Roth because he is simply concentrating on improving and merely making the team.
''I'm living the dream now,'' Roth said. ``I played football since I was 4 years old. I wasn't one of those guys that started in high school. So I can appreciate this. I watched all the stars and all the big-time players growing up and being one of them was a lifetime dream. Not too many people get to pursue that. I get that chance.''
To ensure his chances, Roth promises to practice in Miami with the same intensity he showed during those long-ago battles against Gallery. But for South Florida bouncers who might become wary of Roth's reputation, he believes he will be able to turn his passion to moderation when he escapes the football field. ''It's easy,'' Roth said. ``I go hard during practice so afterward I can just go home and go to sleep.''
今年からガンガン活躍、期待しております。
