RoJo Wasn’t Built In A Day
October 18th, 2020
No longer a project?
Bucs running back Ronald Jones is a good example of a guy who never gave up, even though it seems his first coaches with the Bucs gave up on him. Joe guesses RoJo is also a good example of a reclamation project.
Jenna Laine of ESPN has a wonderful story of RoJo. His first two years in the NFL were not easy. Reading Laine’s story, it is easy to read between the lines that the previous coaching staff and RoJo did not click whatsoever and he was basically roadkill as that same staff fought desperately for wins (to save their jobs). And developing players only distracted that staff from job security.
The way Laine writes the story, it is almost like RoJo was going through serious depression. He admitted he would stare up at the lights of the Den of Depression his rookie year while sitting on the bench thinking he made a grave error coming out of USC early.
“It took a lot for him to get him out of that cellar. It took a lot,” said Rojo’s private coach/trainer, Luke Neal.
Laine paints a picture of mentally out of it guy. Neal arrived with Bucco Bruce Arians and took RoJo under his wing. RoJo began working out with a program based on Walter Payton’s grueling workout regimes.
Additionally, RoJo began catching passes from a Juggs gun at One Buc Palace, catching some 300 balls a day until his hands were too numb to catch any longer.
A combination of being in top shape, a burning work ethic, a cleared head and a newfound desire to treat the playbook like trying to pass the Florida bar exam, and RoJo is a totally different running back.
RoJo just had the best two consecutive games of his career rushing for 100 yards in each. In the loss to the Bears, RoJo was clearly the team’s best offensive player.
Joe is happy for RoJo. Joe had given up on the guy as a starter because it is so rare for a running back who had done nothing his first two years in the league to all of a sudden have the light bulb flip on, Joe was convinced RoJo was yet another swing and miss in player development.
If RoJo, who is eighth in the NFL in rushing, continues to play at the level he has played the past two weeks, this Bucs offense truly could be scary good.
As soon as someone learns the offense.
October 18th, 2020 at 8:18 am
Its funny to hear a guy that has barely past the one hundred yard mark twice is considered, as a force in the NFL!!!!!!!!!! But, One would have to agree, that his “turnaround” has been quite astounding!!!!!!!!!! Some might say that no one has shown more “heart” since Lance Armstrong!!!!!!!!!! That his field vision is as sharp as Barry Bonds looking for a fast ball!!!!!!!! That his speed on the field is comparable to Ben Johnson in the 1988 Olympics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 18th, 2020 at 8:22 am
Pablo hope Leonard Fournette doesn’t play today, our running game is performing a lot better!
October 18th, 2020 at 8:50 am
My take on RoJo is he wasn’t prepared for transition to the NFL in his first year.
Given the fact that he was unable to unseat Barber in year two makes me think the Arians staff
were not exactly enthralled with ROJO in his second year either. Won’t blame either coaching staff. Much credit goes to ROJO for his maturation after year one
and his work ethic adding things like pass protection and determined running to his skillset.
Truth be told ,I am not sure if ROJO would have had the opportunity to get those 2- 100 yard games, if shady and Fournette were not banged up. So kudos to ROJO for taking the bull by the horns and winning the job outright.
October 18th, 2020 at 8:53 am
Realist(o)- It must be so difficult for you. Even when it’s been shown time and again that player development is occurring at your alleged favorite team’s compound, you still can’t admit it.
No, instead you compare Rojo’s emergence and success with that of those who CHEATED.
Please feel free to take your exclamation points and shove ’em!
October 18th, 2020 at 8:55 am
“ Reading Laine’s story, it is easy to read between the lines that the previous Bucs coaching staff and RoJo did not click whatsoever and he was basically roadkill as that same staff fought desperately for wins (to save their jobs) and developing guys only distracted them from trying to retain job security.”
But.. but… the Bucs realist told me only the last staff could develop players!! Surely not this staff!!
October 18th, 2020 at 9:26 am
ElBucoDicko, What’s NOT funny are your lame biscuit, sheep, and exclamation point ridden posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What IS funny is how you disappeared during the Bucs win streak. Guess you, NDogTurd and the other couple members of your #3 NutHugger Gang were busy counting up all of #3’s TD passes this year, huh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 18th, 2020 at 10:07 am
I called this shot back in July or August on this site. Based on his body language and the way he ran the ball in the last few games last year foretold of his transformation. Good for you RoJo!
October 18th, 2020 at 10:22 am
Let’s see it only took him 3 years to have two hundred yard rushing games. Sorry if I’m not more excited.
October 18th, 2020 at 10:53 am
I shared on a thread back in 2018 that DKoetter should’ve provided RoJo with a mentor. He was still a kid when entered the nfl in 2018 at the young age of 20. Koetter bad mouth the kid to the point of he lost his confidence. No one in the locker room for him to look up to especially with Desean Jackson bringing cancer to the team n Swaggy Baker leaving the same year after heckling his own teammate n conflict with teammates after jumping offside. RoJo is humble n will surprise all.
October 18th, 2020 at 11:04 am
Knew he’d have a good year. Just didn’t think he’d be a power runner. Keep it up RoJo!
October 18th, 2020 at 11:44 am
ROJO was the victim of a perfect storm…some brought on by himself or management team.
First he did come out a year too early. Physically he was still a kid and has added pounds since then. He was also a kid emotionally, psychologically and experientially.
Combine that with a coaching staff on it’s way out and desperate…looking back it’s not hard to understand why ROJO took a while to develop. He literally had to grow up he came out of college way too young and physically immature.
October 18th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
Props on that headline 🙏
October 18th, 2020 at 2:07 pm
Rumble Young Man Rumble
October 18th, 2020 at 5:49 pm
I figured he would be the main back as Fournette and the rookie got more involved until they took his job completely. But so far this year he has proved me wrong. He has gotten stronger and stronger the more he’s become a featured back.
He seems to be more decisive this year than in the past.
Kudos to him. Keep it up !!
October 18th, 2020 at 8:05 pm
I also think he found his identity with this offensive line. The whole rugby scrum thing is new this year and it seems to be a theme. Not only will RoJo break your ankles but, failing that, he seems more than happy to drag an entire defense along for a ride with the enthusiastic support of the line. Those are my favorite plays right now.
October 18th, 2020 at 8:43 pm
#Repost
LUVMYBUCS Says:
August 23rd, 2018 at 10:52 am ←
Cont…
August 23rd, 2018 at 10:52 am ←