Stanford All-American
By Greg Shepard I wondered if I could find Bob Wh itfield as I first gazed onto the Stanford practice field. I had to chuckle. It took all of two seconds. At 6-6 and 300 pounds, Whitfield wasn't hard to spot. After practice we talked and it was evident that Bob was very special. Bob is a great example and role model, so many coaches and a thletes should find his story helpful. Bob g re w up in a relatively poor section of Los Angeles near Long Beach. He attended Banning High School which has an enrollment of 2000 stu dents, mostly of Black and Hispanic origin. There were gangs, guns, drugs and as Bob puts it, "opportunities for fast money." How did he rise above it?
That's the essence of our story. Bob began playing football in his 9th grade year and was huge at 6-4 and 255 pounds. By the time he was a senior, he grew another two inches and ad ded another 45 pounds! Bob also threw the sho t put 55 feet. He didn't start lifting w eights until his 10th gr ade year and then only upper body exerci ses . "If I had it to do over again, I'd mo st definitely do it different," explained Bob."It wasn't until my junior and senior year that I got into a more sophistica ted program of doing Squats. We didn't do Cleans until my senior year. " Bob became a starter by his junior year and proceeded to set the world on fire.
He was All- League, All-City, All- State and All-American. Coupled with his size and 3.5 CPA, Bob was what you call a can't miss blue chipper. He chose Stanford. It was a combination of what his mother and deceased father wanted and, of course, Stanford's elite academ ic reputation. Plus, the Cardinal team had a place for Bob to start as a freshman. Bob has a brother who is three years older who got into trouble but actually helped his younger brother stay clean. "My brother scared me off," said Bob,"he wouldn't let me get involved." Bob's father died when he was "in 10th grade. It was Bob Loves The Bench. He Does 410 Pounds and Lock-Outs With N early 500 lbs. tough . "We were close,"
remembered Bob, "He was m y role mod el. He q ui t sc hool w h en h e was in th e 10t h grade. Then, he w ent back to ge t his high school diplom a while in his tw enti es. My father started out with a low paying job bu t th en worked his w ay up to manager ial positions." "I wanted to d o the right th ing for my fath er and my mother. I wa n ted to stick w ith footb all and schoo l. I could have mad e fast mon ey but th e g uys, the gan g st ers, respected me. I had a chance to be great. They saw it and allowed me to do it." Editor's Note: Shouldn't everyone have a chance to be great? Shouldn't everyone be allo we d to follow their dream s?
As a fres hma n, Bob doubted his streng th at Stan ford but it onl y took a w eek to adjust. Durin g games Bob felt he was singled ou t by the opposition because he wa s so young. "But it turned out OK," sai d Bob. It was a grea t year, maybe m y best." Th at ' s sayi ng some t hi ng b e cau se last year as a sophomore Bob was an Outland Trophy fina list. He m ost likely w ill be d raft ed af ter thi s seaso n. "As for lea vin g early, I think of it eco no mically. If I hap pen to be drafted high, I might go . If not, I'll stay." rea son ed Bob. Bob is majoring in Industrial Engineering and carries a 2.1 GPA.
That, of course, is low but as Bob says, "The competitio n h ere a t Stanfo rd is tough a cademicall y. You're goi ng aga ins t g en iuses wi t h 1600 SAT sco res . You've go t to go to eve ry class, take notes and use tutors. 1mean you've go t to use everything." "I made the right choice by coming to Stanford," sai d Bob with stro ng conviction. "I like the cha llenge. Besides a degree fro m Stanford will be a real door opener." Bob lik es to ac hiev e hi s goa ls aca de m ica lly a nd athletically. Even if it doesn 't look like it's go ing to wo rk Bob states, "Give it anothe r cha nce. Keep going!"
All-American a T Bob Whitfield Is A Strong Outland Candidate, Started As A Freshman!
Showing Great Form On High Pulls From Boxes Bob Using Kraiburg Medicine Ball Against Mini-Tra mp Bob Displays Fine Flexibility On Adductor Stretch Continued On Next Page 47 BOB WHITFIELD OUTLAND CANDIDATE Bob's best lifts are a 410 ben ch and a 1300 pound Hip Sled lift. Dur ing the season, he began his Clean workou t by doing 245 x 6 rep s. Stretching and running in wa ter is also part of the training regi me n. Bob thinks the wa ter running is goo d as it' s easy o n the joint s. He maintains 16% body fat and runs a 4.99 fort y. Bob ' s ph ilo soph y o n p eer pressure comes from one negat ive expe rience, "Do what's best for yourself. Think about the consequences.
I don't listen to other people when it comes to the negat ive. I never drank too much but I gav e it up entirely last year after ge tting very sick. I passed out in my own puke. It was the worst thing to ever happen to me. I was lu cky that w as all that happened." Bob's mother has moved to San Jose so she can see all of Bob's games. H is brother w as in Desert Storm and is now doing well. Bob related, "My famil y is the most important thing." He also goes ba ck to th e old n ei ghborhood and Banning High Schoo l. "It's fun . I know all the kid s. I alwa ys tell them to stick with the positive and stay away from the negative."
We thank Bob Whi tfield for sha ring his Up pe r Limit life and hope it will be of va lue to others. We also thank Coach Montes for bein g so g racious and helping w ith th is article. "Bob Whitfield Is A Hard Worker And Knows He Has To Be Dedicat ed To Be Trul y Successful. It ' s A Remarkabl e St or y For Bob To Even Be H ere At Stanford. He's A Shining Example Of What You Can Do: To His High School And Community. Bob's Also A Lot Of Fun. He' s Got A Gr eat Ability To Ke ep Thing s Loose"
Fernando Montes: Stanford Strength Coach BFS President Greg Shepard, Bob Whitfield and Coa ch Fernando Montes.
Bob Doing Plyometric BoxJumping With Strength Coach Fernando Montes. Doing A To tal Conditioning Program Is Essential To The Success O/The Cardinal.
From BFS Magazine — Winter 1991. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
