More on Mr. Briggs

In today's Times, I profiled Storm defensive lineman Tom Briggs. Here are some quotes and notes from/about Tom that didn't make it into the story:

-"The older you get, you need to train harder and harder each year. Each year that goes by, the competition gets younger and you have to push yourself that much harder to keep up with the younger guys."

-In college, Briggs played outside linebacker and defensive end. In high school, he saw a little time at tight end.

-Stan Brock, Briggs' AFL coach in Portland, is now the head coach at Army.

-When the AFL started allowing free substitutions in 2007, Briggs was "actually disappointed. I thought that was kind of our niche."

-"The older you get, you look for any little advantage. That comes from breaking down film and spotting the little things you learn from playing the game."

-Of the Ironman aspect in the past: "That was a big part of our game. You had to be in great physical condition. If you were one of the top guys in the league, they'd leave you in for 10 minutes in a quarter. I'd be playing 75 percent of the game. When I'm out there now, when I start to get a little winded, I say to myself, 'This is nothing compared to what it used to be."

-The hard part is "the offseason. During the season, that's fun. In the offseason, you have to get up and train three to four hours. But there's nobody there to push you."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

In today's Times, I profiled Storm defensive lineman Tom Briggs. Here are some quotes and notes from/about Tom that didn't make it into the story:

-"The older you get, you need to train harder and harder each year. Each year that goes by, the competition gets younger and you have to push yourself that much harder to keep up with the younger guys."

-In college, Briggs played outside linebacker and defensive end. In high school, he saw a little time at tight end.

-Stan Brock, Briggs' AFL coach in Portland, is now the head coach at Army.

-When the AFL started allowing free substitutions in 2007, Briggs was "actually disappointed. I thought that was kind of our niche."

-"The older you get, you look for any little advantage. That comes from breaking down film and spotting the little things you learn from playing the game."

-Of the Ironman aspect in the past: "That was a big part of our game. You had to be in great physical condition. If you were one of the top guys in the league, they'd leave you in for 10 minutes in a quarter. I'd be playing 75 percent of the game. When I'm out there now, when I start to get a little winded, I say to myself, 'This is nothing compared to what it used to be."

-The hard part is "the offseason. During the season, that's fun. In the offseason, you have to get up and train three to four hours. But there's nobody there to push you."

-- KEITH NIEBUHR

Comments

[Greg]

I enjoyed watching Tom Briggs play for the Mountaineers in my college days. I really wished the NFL would have given him a better chance but he has done very well in the AFL. We look forward to seeing him back in Morgantown as a possible honorary captain and at the homecoming games.