Iowa All-American Center
IOWA Mike Devlin has been around football all his life and plans to follow in his dad’s footsteps and make it a life long career. Mike’s father, John Devlin, has coached the Houston Oilers, Temple and is now the defensive coordinator at Tulane. Coach Devlin was even with Coach Jerry Claiborne for 18 years. My dad says, “Do what you love to do,” so I say, “When I can’t play football, I want to coach it.” Mike started lifting at an early age because of his older brothers. One was a quarterback at West Point while another plays defensive line at Murray State.
Mike played football at Cherokee High School in New Jersey and was an All-America mention by USA Today, Bally’s Scholastic Coach, and The Sporting News. He was the 1987 New Jersey Lineman-of-theYear. In addition, Mike was a Scholastic All-American and runner-up for the New Jersey Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year. He played offensive and defensive guard, the transition to guard wasn’t made until college. Mike also started for three years in baseball and was All-Conference for two years. On choosing Iowa, Mike related, “I just loved the area and the support.” Today Mike states, “The training room, weight room, the ‘Bubble’...they’re all the best.
That’s what separates the University of lowa from the crowd. The desire to provide the very best for its student-athletes, and that includes providing the very best facilities.”
The “Bubble” is Iowa's indoor practice facility completed in 1985. It features a full-size football field! Plus, there is ofÏce space for the coaching staff; equipment, weight training facility, meeting, film and class rooms. To top it off, there’s a player’s lounge. Mike red-shirted his first year. He remembered, “You take your beatings and you just try to do the best you can.” It wasn’t easy. As a freshman, he had surgery on his right shoulder.
All in all, it was his third football related operation in a five-year period but Mike was determined and made his success happen, CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS 400 X 5 REPS REGULAR BENCH 535 INCLINE 315 X 8 SQUAT 685 In High School Mike Was 6-2 265 Benched 350 Squatted 450 CENTER 6-3 290 SR. “Things were different from high school. Here at lowa, someone pushes me consistently.” Mike does all his weight training plus flexibility workouts all the time. He sprints in a 60-yard sand pit complete with chutes and sleds. Finally, Mike engages in Plyometrics doing explosion drills and hurdle jumping. Mike also takes rigorous attitude towards his studies. He’s already graduated!
Mike majored in Leisure Studies and is now going for a Masters in Physical Education with a teaching and coaching certificate. Mike’s philosophy, “To win, you need to be relentless. You gotta want it more than your opponent. I believe the hard work will pay off. As far as the commitment required, you've got to want to do it everyday. It should be your life. Only family and religion should take precedence. Religion is very important to me and I give God the credit for all that has happened to me.” We know that most big, strong football players are often accused of taking steroids but Mike laughed at this, “No one’s asked me. I’m not the best looking guy. Physically, I don’t look that good.
I’ve made steady progress everyday. You can gain what you need through hard work. I was kind of fat in high school. I ran and lifted everyday because when I came to Iowa | was over 20% bodyfat. I was terrible. “My strength coach told me to follow their program. I cut way down on my fat intake. Now I’m down to 16% bodyfat. It’s been a gradual process.” Continued on next page “Mike Is An All-America Candidate. But When He CAme To Forty.
Changed That.
Most Deserving.
Work. ” competitions. remarkable of all is Frank’s amazing consistency and injury free performances. Huge credit must be given to Coach Hirschi. Frank is always ready for a big meet and runs consistently at a top level every race.
Frank did not start lifting until he got to BYU and does Parallel Squats, Benches and Straight Leg Deadlifts for his core exercises. Some of his auxiliaries include lat pulls, tricep extensions and leg curls. He does not do leg extensions. It is felt the Parallel Squats give enough work for the Quadriceps. When asked about Power Cleans, Frank replied, “I don’t do them but I should. I think they are too complicated.” I told Frank, “They are not complicated if you use our training plates and use our new Power Clean Video.” I then demonstrated how easy they were: Just start slow, jump and rack it. We tried without a bar “As far as personal goals, the key is to have the team do well.
If we do that, the individual goals will be easier to and he grinned. promised Frank Id send him our video. attain. You know, there’s a point in your life when you have As far as stretching, Frank does dynamic stretching to decide what you're going to do: The heart, the will, the everyday. He keeps loose and supple during this commitment. Love what you're doing and play every down period. Static stretching is done mostly after lifting. relentlessly.”
“Bounding and Plyometrics have been the key to my We thank Strength Coach Ray Moran, a past national success especially for consistent fast times,” said Frank. collegiate powerlifting champion and the lowa Hawkeyes.
“1 spend 15-20 minutes per day on this facet of training.
We also hope the 70 plus thousand people that watch I do some Box Jumping but not on a regular basis.” football at Kinnick Stadium truly appreciate their All- Coach Hirschi does not use a lot of aids such as the American center. Finally, we thank Mike Devlin who “Leg Shoe” or “Sport Chute” but relies mostly on personifies the true meaning of being Upper Limit. dynamic stretching, plyometrics, lifting and the technical aspects of sprinting. Frank believes that Plyometrics can really help you, especially over a WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TEAM WHO DOES MOSTLY BENCHES AND CURLS? SCHEDULE THEM! longer period of time. Frank, who holds the African Record, isn’t sure how fast he can run.
He believes steroids are very wrong and one thing; Frank has never been accused of taking steroids. When Coach Hirschi first saw him, he almost sent him off with the marathom runners. is definately not a bulky muscular sprinter. He states, “I don’t know anything about steroids. I’ve never been WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TEAM WHO DOES THE SAME WORKOUT DAY AFTER DAY? SCHEDULE THEM! approached by anyone to take them. I do believe I need to lift more and get stronger to achieve my goals.” That perked my curiosity. “And what are those?” | asked. “To break the world record,” he replied seriously yet confidently. “You mean the 100?” I asked again. He looked me straight in the eye, “No in both.”
But then he demonstrated, “The difference between me and a World Record is only this far,” as he showed a WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU WANT GUARANTEED IMPROVEMENT? distance of less than two feet. “But”, he continued, “No one really knows just how far that actually is. It will require much improvement.” Our interview was over but somehow this Upper Limit athlete from Namibia just may be able to pull HAVEA BES CLINIC! it off.
From BFS Magazine — Winter 1992. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
