Bobby Hart Making His Presence Known on Defense
10/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 19, 2000
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Jim Montgomery appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
Four months ago he was a graduating senior at Waco High School. On Saturday, Oct. 6, he started at defensive back and played 43 snaps of Big XII football as Baylor fell to Texas Tech.
Bobby Hart is a freshman in the truest sense but not at all awed by the situation. Kevin Steele, the Bears' head coach, isn't sure Hart is even aware of situational peripheries.
"If you asked him how many people were at the game or how cold it was or how loud it was, I doubt if he would have an answer," Steele reflected. "But if you asked him what his man was doing or what his man did, he would know.
"BOBBY HAS A characteristic that's uncommon for any player. He has a coolness and calmness about him that external conditions -- whatever they might be -- do not affect him. He is completely focused."
The Bears, 2-4, are in the midst of a little-advertised youth movement. They had as many as 10 freshmen, true and redshirt, in action at times against Tech, counting both sides of the football. There is some promising talent among the frosh. The obvious risk is bringing them along too quickly, the obvious goal is force-feeding game experience.
Forty-three snaps is a big chunk of on-the-job training. In Hart's case, none of it came at what is possibly the most demanding position on defense: cornerback.
Hart is what's known as the "dime" back, the sixth man in the secondary when opponents send forth the maximum number of receivers. For many freshmen, just seeing the widespread array the Red Raiders deploy would foster an attitude ranging from confusion to hesitation to despair.
"I think," Steele said, "you could put Bobby Hart on the field in the Sugar Bowl and tell him who to cover and he wouldn't blink."
HART CONFESSED he had never seen such a far-flung formation as Tech used. His reaction: "It was a lot of running."
The "dime" secondary, like most modern defenses, is many-faceted.
"It's a conglomeration of man-to-man and zone," said Baylor defensive coordinator Brick Haley, "and we do a lot of blitzing out of it. Bobby knows when he's in `man' and when he's in zone and how he's supposed to play it."
Against Tech, Hart said, his assignment wasn't all that complex.
"Most of the time I had their slot man, the guy next to the widest man," he said.
Several of Hart's accomplishments caught the coaches' eyes early.
"His focus," Haley said. "His attention to detail. His reactions on the field. He's a student of the game. He wants to learn he asks questions, then goes out and does it. He's learning coverages. I thought he did extremely well as a freshman in a Big XII game."
"There are so many different techniques as to how you play a guy. Bobby's not perfect -- who is? -- but he's coming along very well."
Hart was almost the last player the Bears signed last spring.
"He was kind of at a crossroads," Haley said. "He had some other offers (Brigham Young was one) and he wasn't sure he wanted to leave Waco and play farther away."
Baylor's representatives bided their time.
"We knew he was good. Johnny (Tusa, Waco High's coach) told us he could play for us and play early. We told Johnny, just let us know when the time was right. We were sitting on that scholarship (for Hart). When Bobby signed, johnny told us `You've got a real football player,' " Steele said.
Hart did play early, more so than even he foresaw.
"I thought I might play a little bit behind Gary (Baxter,)" he said, "but he's so good it would just be a slim chance, even if the breaks went right. Gary's help me a lot. I've learned a lot from him."
One thing Hart didn't have to learn was tackling. He is one of Baylor's best at delivering a blow and making the stop. He cites high school training for that skill.
"We practiced a lot on defense at Waco High and we practiced tackling a lot," he explained.
As for defensive backfield work, Hart most admires the ability of frequent Pro Bowler Deion Sanders. "I just like the way he plays," he said.
Bobby Hart already is a better tackler than the neon prime time man.
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Jim Montgomery appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
