From blueshirt to backbone, Robertson ready to lead Vols' OL

Initially, Jashon Robertson was all smiles.

Tennessee's senior offensive lineman delivered one thoughtful answer after the next. He dished on Rock Gullickson’s impact this offseason, the transition to Walt Wells and the possibility of playing center.

But when asked about being a “blueshirt” four years ago, Robertson shifted in his chair and slightly cringed. His toothy smile turned into a face of reflection, thoughts racing through his head.

“It’s crazy,” he told VolQuest.

“You just put a lot in my mind. I’m thinking about a lot right now.”

Four years ago, Robertson was a member of Butch Jones’ famed 2014 recruiting class. Blue-chippers Josh Malone, Derek Barnett and Jalen Hurd — Robertson’s best friend — headlined the Top 5 group, while Robertson was a little-known 3-star lineman from Montgomery Bell Academy. An impressive athlete, Robertson, now 6-foot-3, 295-pounds, played on both sides of the ball for MBA and was a state champion wrestler.

Still, Robertson only had scholarship offers from Vandy, Tennessee and Penn State, and when James Franklin left Nashville for Happy Valley, the then-Vandy commit flipped to Tennessee to follow Hurd.

Then he learned the Vols wanted him to be a “blueshirt” and what’ll that meant exactly.

In layman’s terms, a “blueshirt” is a prospect who isn’t formally recruited. He can’t take an official visit or sign an NLI. The prospect isn’t on scholarship until they arrive on campus.

A sensitive stigma surrounds recruits who are asked to "blueshirt." No one really wants to talk about it, and looking back, Roberston fully-admits he was fueled by the supposed notion he wasn’t good enough. He shook his head thinking about four years ago, and while he doesn’t wear those memories like scar, Robertson definitely explained just what he thinks about whole ordeal.

“As far as the process and whatever shirt, blueshirt, redshirt, grayshirt, all the different shirts you can get these days, none of that really matters,” he said.

“What matters is what you’re bringing everyday. The certain will within yourself to get better and not allow no other man’s expectations to be above your own. For anybody, whether it’s a 5-star and a guy like Trey (Smith), or somebody like me who definitely wasn’t a 5-star, it don’t really matter. I say this when I meet with guys coming in, I tell them, ‘It doesn’t matter what you’re stars are. The coaches are going to play who they see as they best guys to (win).’ It’s their livelihood. It’s their job. They’re not going to toy with all that.”

Robertson is walking proof.

While the Nashville native entered Tennessee an unknown, he quickly made a name for himself in 2014, spending three days at defensive tackle before switching to offensive guard.

The rest is history.

Robertson immediately picked up the playbook and used his past experiences competitively wrestling to rocket up the depth chart. By the end of training camp, Robertson was on the first-team and ultimately started all 13 games at right guard as a freshman.

Suddenly, the “blueshirt” became a backbone of Tennessee's offensive line, and nothing has changed since.

“Sometimes (5-star) guys pan out and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes guys in my position are exactly what people said they were, and they don’t pan out. But at the end of the day, it’s all in your control,” he said, suddenly flashing his big grin again.

“(Four years ago), I was just trying to get on the field and ball. Point blank and period, I just wanted to play. I was willing to do anything to get on the field. It didn’t matter. “Having the opportunity to switch from defense to offfense? Ok, that’s cool. All I saw was another opportunity to get on the field. I just worked at it. (I) did everything I could to put myself in the best position to play.”

Robertson’s wrestling background certainly helped.

Years competing on the mat shaped Robertson’s mentality — one he still utilizes today. It taught the offensive lineman valuable lessons about leverage and fear. When he showed up to training camp in 2014, Robertson certainly didn't have the proper techniques down to play right away, but an already-honed attitude still positioned him to succeed almost immediately.

“That changed me as a player,” he said, bluntly.

“To this day, wrestling is what helped get (me here). That’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Being out there, 1-on-1. Ain’t no excuses. If somebody puts you on your back, that’s on you. It’s an embarrassing feeling when you’re looking at the lights on the ceiling.

“(The offensive line) it’s just 1-on-1 matchups across the board. Just as a unit in general, every offensive lineman around the country will tell you, ‘Don’t nobody care if you’re banged up. Don’t nobody care if there’s a miscommunication. Get it figured out. Get the job done. You’re there for a reason. Get it done.’ That’s how wrestling really was, too. I don’t care if the mat was slippery or if you had this or that. Man, it’s on you. Don’t get put on your back.”

While “building a bully” is Tennessee’s OL motto this year, “don’t get put on your back” could be a nice makeshift moniker, too.

With 35 career starts, Robertson enters his senior season a staple in Tennessee’s starting lineup. The Vols’ vanguard headlines the second-most experienced offensive line in the country.

There is no more life in the shadows for these guys.

With no more Dobbs or Barnett, the offensive line must lead the team if Tennessee is going to compete for a spot in Atlanta.

Robertson knows this, and he’s assumed an added leadership role this year. While playing exclusively at right or left guard in all 35 career starts, Robertson worked a lot at center this spring with senior Coleman Thomas sidelined with an appendectomy. He immediately took to the position and has given Wells an another lineup wrinkle to play with.

Depending on where Robertson slides into up front, the rest of Tennessee’s OL dominos will fall into place. That’s certainly created a competitive atmosphere for a unit with too many options and too few spots.

“At the end of the day, five people are going to be on the field, and if you want to be apart of that five, you have to bring it day in and day out in every way. In every form. No matter the position. You use that to drive you,” Robertson said.

Robertson has battled a variety of injuries the last three years, but this offseason, he’s changed his diet (eliminating red meat and pork) and improved his flexibility. He’s always been a weight room alpha dog, but he feels Gullikson has taken him to a new level.

His “blueshirt” is simply a footnote in his history now, and he’s primed to be the backbone on the most important unit on Tennessee’s team in 2017.

“I’m at Tennessee. So-and-so is also at Tennessee. We’re both on scholarship. I’m not here for no reason. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have some ability to play on this level. Any true competitor, any dog should have that mindset,” he said. “I feel really good with my body right now. I’m ready to go."