Seniors Not Done Yet
11/23/2018 1:46:00 PM | Football
BY: PETE DIPRIMIO
IUHoosiers.com
Jacob Robinson contemplates a career well played, a decision well made.
The Indiana senior defensive lineman stands in a small area just outside the Memorial Stadium locker room. Teammates have danced, cheered, sung and celebrated a dramatic 34-32 victory over Maryland that opened postseason possibilities, but he isn't focused on that.
Robinson's time as a Hoosier draws near. One game is guaranteed – the annual Oaken Bucket battle with rival Purdue. Another is possible with an IU victory.
But first comes a big-picture question on what it has meant to be a Hoosier.
He offers a big-picture answer.
"It means a lot, not just for football, but for life. It's opened so many doors. I'm so fortunate to have met so many people, to have played here for Coach (Kevin) Wilson and Coach (Tom) Allen."
Robinson pauses. The former three-sport standout at Westfield High School near Indianapolis, pitches the benefits of a Cream & Crimson career.
"I hope the in-state guys like myself choose to come here. We are the state school. It pays off. You make a lot of special memories. I'm happy with everything and grateful for this opportunity."
It's an opportunity that has seen Robinson play in 41 games with 22 starts. That includes the Pinstripe and Foster Farms bowls while earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.
"It's been awesome," he says. "It's been everything I dreamed of. When I came here, I set some goals and I surpassed them. My experience has been great."
Another pause.
"It's crazy that it's the end of my senior year. It's flown by."
So it has for fellow senior captains Wes Martin, Luke Timian and Jonathan Crawford, plus the 20 other senior players. They all face the end of their college football careers. Their impact, Allen says, will last long after they've moved on.
"It's just a special group. They have been through some ups and downs. The coaching change. They embraced me as their head coach.
"I love these guys, how hard they work, how much they invested in our off-season program, how much they care about this program and university. They were a catalyst to help us create change. We're not where we want to be, but we're working hard every day to make this place special."
IU opened 4-1, on the cusp of the break-through season, then lost four straight, including heartbreakers to Penn State and Minnesota, before edging Maryland on Logan Justus's late field goal. That gave them five victories and a chance to reach the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.
"Games like that are exhausting physically and emotionally," Robinson said of the Maryland win. "We believe. Our guys fight hard."
The Hoosiers fought, Allen adds, even when critics doubted.
"It's times like that when you have to battle. People are getting down on you. They're saying negative things about you, and rightly so. We've earned some of those comments.
"At the same time, our guys don't blink. They have a lot of pride. They learned some things from last year's group, like how you can't take anything for granted. A bowl opportunity is special. There haven't been a lot of those in this program's history, so every one is important."
It certainly is for Robinson, whose favorite IU memory centers on the 2015 Purdue game.
Indiana hadn't qualified for a bowl game since 2007 and needed to beat the Boilers to reach six wins and earn a bid. The Hoosiers did decisively with a 54-36 victory.
"I played in it," Robinson says. "To get the win there and have the opportunity to go bowling for the first time in a while was special. I was fortunate enough to be part of that."
Robinson hopes to join a select group of Hoosiers to have played in three bowls. He'll get the chance at Memorial Stadium. For the fourth straight season, the Old Oaken Bucket game has postseason implications.
"I've been thinking about it since we lost to Purdue last year and didn't go bowling," Robinson says. "It's been on my mind ever since.
"I was fortunate enough to go my freshman and sophomore years. Being home at winter break last year (stunk). Watching Purdue play and the other teams play took a toll. It drove me to be a leader to help our guys go to a bowl game and win back the Bucket."
The fact a bowl bid is part of the rivalry game will add to the fun, Robinson says.
"It will be a huge game. It always is. That's how it should be. It will be a great atmosphere."
The other three senior co-captains have their own views on the opportunity. Here's what they have to say:
JONATHAN CRAWFORD
No Hoosier personifies Tom Allen's takeaway philosophy better than safety Jonathan Crawford, who has started all 49 games he's played for Indiana.
He's generated 19 takeaways in his career -- nine interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. Those all lead the team.
Beyond that, Crawford has 269 career tackles and has broken up 18 passes. Those also lead the Hoosiers.
Add his team-leading 60 tackles and he's certainly made the most of his Cream & Crimson experience.
"It's been everything for me, the ups and downs, the rollercoaster, being able to stick with it," he says. "Just being with the guys. The reason I came here was for the brotherhood we have. That's something I love."
Love extends to his best memory as a Hoosier, and it involves team over individual:
The Michigan State victory.
It was Oct. 1, 2016, when the Hoosiers snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Spartans with a 24-21 overtime victory.
"Being able to storm the field afterward," Crawford says. "Getting to experience that. It meant everything."
So did the Maryland victory.
"You live for games like that. It was the next step to going to a bowl.
"It showed that, after a bye week, we got our minds right."
Now the right-mind focus centers on reaching a bowl game.
"It would be huge," Crawford says. "Knowing the history, trying to change things, taking that next step. To be able to play in another game would be really special."
WES MARTIN
You might know this senior left guard for his beard and immense strength (he bench presses 525 pounds, hang cleans 425).
But Martin is also a soon-to-be four-time academic all-conference performer who has started 36 straight games.
Beyond that, he's the last guy you want blocking you when you're trying to sack the quarterback.
Last season, Martin didn't allow a sack in 569 pass block snaps. No guard in the country did as well.
"It's been awesome," he says of his time as a Hoosier. "The university has taught me a lot. It's allowed me to mature and become a man. These are really important years in your life, and this has been a great place to mold what I want to become."
Martin is from West Milton, Ohio, the same town that produced former Hoosier Mitchell Evans.
"I grew up watching Mitchell and watching Indiana," Martin says. "I always wanted to come here. When they offered, it was a no-brainer."
He, too, pushes to make a third bowl game.
"It would be huge. They're awesome experiences."
LUKE TIMIAN
The receiver didn't start a Hoosier (he spent a year at Oklahoma State before transferring), but he'll certainly end as one, and that makes all the difference.
Timian overcame injuries to total a team-leading 41 catches for 385 yards in eight games.
For his career he has 130 receptions for 1,302 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of 22 Hoosiers with at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards. As a junior, he totaled 68 receptions (6th in program history) for 589 yards and two touchdowns to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
"Being here means a lot," he says. "Once it's your senior year and it's coming to an end, you start to reflect on how much a program like this can do for you.
"I came here not knowing a single person. I didn't know what I was getting into."
He knew one thing.
"I believed in what these guys were telling me."
Holding off Maryland -- a game in which the Hoosiers fell behind, rallied, fell behind, took the lead and held on -- had Timian on the edge.
"I'm not going to lie, these games will take some years off my life," he says. "I am so into it and want to win for these guys so badly.
"I know everyone wants to win. It so often comes down to a couple of key plays down the stretch. To continue to win, we have to make big plays the whole game."
As for his biggest memory, it's all about the two bowl trips.
"Bowls aren't guaranteed. They are really special. It's great to spend quality time with these guys in a different city, to play with and for each other. It's special."
Special enough to seek one more.
"Getting to a bowl is the goal. That's what I've been working toward for the entire year. That's what we want. To do it would be amazing.
"Now I'm in a position to end my career with a bowl game. I want it for these guys. I wait to battle with them."
The same is true for the other seniors -- Delroy Baker, Mike Barwick Jr., Ja'merez Bowen, Ricky Brookins, Joshua Brown, Austin Dorris, Mike Fiacable, Chris Gajcak, Dan Godsil, J-Shun Harris II, Isaac James, Brandon Knight, Nick Linder, DaVondre Love, Mike Majette, Michael McGinnis, Nick Ramacca, Kayton Samuels, Nile Sykes and Ryan Watercutter.
They all will leave a lasting impression.
"They want to fight to finish in a bowl game," Allen says. "They have a chance to be a unique group to go to three bowls, which hasn't happened much in our program's history. They'll go down as a special group."
IUHoosiers.com
Jacob Robinson contemplates a career well played, a decision well made.
The Indiana senior defensive lineman stands in a small area just outside the Memorial Stadium locker room. Teammates have danced, cheered, sung and celebrated a dramatic 34-32 victory over Maryland that opened postseason possibilities, but he isn't focused on that.
Robinson's time as a Hoosier draws near. One game is guaranteed – the annual Oaken Bucket battle with rival Purdue. Another is possible with an IU victory.
But first comes a big-picture question on what it has meant to be a Hoosier.
He offers a big-picture answer.
"It means a lot, not just for football, but for life. It's opened so many doors. I'm so fortunate to have met so many people, to have played here for Coach (Kevin) Wilson and Coach (Tom) Allen."
Robinson pauses. The former three-sport standout at Westfield High School near Indianapolis, pitches the benefits of a Cream & Crimson career.
"I hope the in-state guys like myself choose to come here. We are the state school. It pays off. You make a lot of special memories. I'm happy with everything and grateful for this opportunity."
It's an opportunity that has seen Robinson play in 41 games with 22 starts. That includes the Pinstripe and Foster Farms bowls while earning Academic All-Big Ten honors.
"It's been awesome," he says. "It's been everything I dreamed of. When I came here, I set some goals and I surpassed them. My experience has been great."
Another pause.
"It's crazy that it's the end of my senior year. It's flown by."
So it has for fellow senior captains Wes Martin, Luke Timian and Jonathan Crawford, plus the 20 other senior players. They all face the end of their college football careers. Their impact, Allen says, will last long after they've moved on.
"It's just a special group. They have been through some ups and downs. The coaching change. They embraced me as their head coach.
"I love these guys, how hard they work, how much they invested in our off-season program, how much they care about this program and university. They were a catalyst to help us create change. We're not where we want to be, but we're working hard every day to make this place special."
IU opened 4-1, on the cusp of the break-through season, then lost four straight, including heartbreakers to Penn State and Minnesota, before edging Maryland on Logan Justus's late field goal. That gave them five victories and a chance to reach the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.
"Games like that are exhausting physically and emotionally," Robinson said of the Maryland win. "We believe. Our guys fight hard."
The Hoosiers fought, Allen adds, even when critics doubted.
"It's times like that when you have to battle. People are getting down on you. They're saying negative things about you, and rightly so. We've earned some of those comments.
"At the same time, our guys don't blink. They have a lot of pride. They learned some things from last year's group, like how you can't take anything for granted. A bowl opportunity is special. There haven't been a lot of those in this program's history, so every one is important."
It certainly is for Robinson, whose favorite IU memory centers on the 2015 Purdue game.
Indiana hadn't qualified for a bowl game since 2007 and needed to beat the Boilers to reach six wins and earn a bid. The Hoosiers did decisively with a 54-36 victory.
"I played in it," Robinson says. "To get the win there and have the opportunity to go bowling for the first time in a while was special. I was fortunate enough to be part of that."
Robinson hopes to join a select group of Hoosiers to have played in three bowls. He'll get the chance at Memorial Stadium. For the fourth straight season, the Old Oaken Bucket game has postseason implications.
"I've been thinking about it since we lost to Purdue last year and didn't go bowling," Robinson says. "It's been on my mind ever since.
"I was fortunate enough to go my freshman and sophomore years. Being home at winter break last year (stunk). Watching Purdue play and the other teams play took a toll. It drove me to be a leader to help our guys go to a bowl game and win back the Bucket."
The fact a bowl bid is part of the rivalry game will add to the fun, Robinson says.
"It will be a huge game. It always is. That's how it should be. It will be a great atmosphere."
The other three senior co-captains have their own views on the opportunity. Here's what they have to say:
JONATHAN CRAWFORD
No Hoosier personifies Tom Allen's takeaway philosophy better than safety Jonathan Crawford, who has started all 49 games he's played for Indiana.
He's generated 19 takeaways in his career -- nine interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. Those all lead the team.
Beyond that, Crawford has 269 career tackles and has broken up 18 passes. Those also lead the Hoosiers.
Add his team-leading 60 tackles and he's certainly made the most of his Cream & Crimson experience.
"It's been everything for me, the ups and downs, the rollercoaster, being able to stick with it," he says. "Just being with the guys. The reason I came here was for the brotherhood we have. That's something I love."
Love extends to his best memory as a Hoosier, and it involves team over individual:
The Michigan State victory.
It was Oct. 1, 2016, when the Hoosiers snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Spartans with a 24-21 overtime victory.
"Being able to storm the field afterward," Crawford says. "Getting to experience that. It meant everything."
So did the Maryland victory.
"You live for games like that. It was the next step to going to a bowl.
"It showed that, after a bye week, we got our minds right."
Now the right-mind focus centers on reaching a bowl game.
"It would be huge," Crawford says. "Knowing the history, trying to change things, taking that next step. To be able to play in another game would be really special."
WES MARTIN
You might know this senior left guard for his beard and immense strength (he bench presses 525 pounds, hang cleans 425).
But Martin is also a soon-to-be four-time academic all-conference performer who has started 36 straight games.
Beyond that, he's the last guy you want blocking you when you're trying to sack the quarterback.
Last season, Martin didn't allow a sack in 569 pass block snaps. No guard in the country did as well.
"It's been awesome," he says of his time as a Hoosier. "The university has taught me a lot. It's allowed me to mature and become a man. These are really important years in your life, and this has been a great place to mold what I want to become."
Martin is from West Milton, Ohio, the same town that produced former Hoosier Mitchell Evans.
"I grew up watching Mitchell and watching Indiana," Martin says. "I always wanted to come here. When they offered, it was a no-brainer."
He, too, pushes to make a third bowl game.
"It would be huge. They're awesome experiences."
LUKE TIMIAN
The receiver didn't start a Hoosier (he spent a year at Oklahoma State before transferring), but he'll certainly end as one, and that makes all the difference.
Timian overcame injuries to total a team-leading 41 catches for 385 yards in eight games.
For his career he has 130 receptions for 1,302 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of 22 Hoosiers with at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards. As a junior, he totaled 68 receptions (6th in program history) for 589 yards and two touchdowns to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
"Being here means a lot," he says. "Once it's your senior year and it's coming to an end, you start to reflect on how much a program like this can do for you.
"I came here not knowing a single person. I didn't know what I was getting into."
He knew one thing.
"I believed in what these guys were telling me."
Holding off Maryland -- a game in which the Hoosiers fell behind, rallied, fell behind, took the lead and held on -- had Timian on the edge.
"I'm not going to lie, these games will take some years off my life," he says. "I am so into it and want to win for these guys so badly.
"I know everyone wants to win. It so often comes down to a couple of key plays down the stretch. To continue to win, we have to make big plays the whole game."
As for his biggest memory, it's all about the two bowl trips.
"Bowls aren't guaranteed. They are really special. It's great to spend quality time with these guys in a different city, to play with and for each other. It's special."
Special enough to seek one more.
"Getting to a bowl is the goal. That's what I've been working toward for the entire year. That's what we want. To do it would be amazing.
"Now I'm in a position to end my career with a bowl game. I want it for these guys. I wait to battle with them."
The same is true for the other seniors -- Delroy Baker, Mike Barwick Jr., Ja'merez Bowen, Ricky Brookins, Joshua Brown, Austin Dorris, Mike Fiacable, Chris Gajcak, Dan Godsil, J-Shun Harris II, Isaac James, Brandon Knight, Nick Linder, DaVondre Love, Mike Majette, Michael McGinnis, Nick Ramacca, Kayton Samuels, Nile Sykes and Ryan Watercutter.
They all will leave a lasting impression.
"They want to fight to finish in a bowl game," Allen says. "They have a chance to be a unique group to go to three bowls, which hasn't happened much in our program's history. They'll go down as a special group."
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