"If you look back the last two years on the line of scrimmage against some of the bigger, more physical teams, we've lacked the ability to run the ball as good as we need to, and we haven't stopped the run at the same rate," Brown said after this morning's practice. "Part of that is we've got to get bigger and stronger and also a part of that is maturity and getting older."
That was evident to him two years ago when his young football team got pushed around on both sides of the ball in the regular season finale at Iowa State.
"Really, it's probably taken us two years to get where we want to be, and it really goes back to the Iowa State game when we just got dominated at the end of the season," he admitted. "Credit to (strength and conditioning coach) Mike (Joseph) with our O-line and D-line; he made some significant adjustments in how we train with an emphasis on lower body strength and being able to play heavier."
That means most of the big dudes like Gmiter are allowed to load up on all of the good calories they can eat.
"As you get older, going through the program, you kind of learn how to take care of your body and what your body needs, and the biggest thing I tried to realize and focus on over the offseason was putting on some more weight," Gmiter explained.
The Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, resident said after trimming down from 320 to 290 during his freshman year, he's spent the last three seasons playing between 290 and 295. The goal this year is to play at 313 and stay there.
"This is the first camp that I've gone into over 300 pounds," Gmiter said. "I can feel the difference. I'm the fastest I've been in a while, too, because I've also increased speed and strength."
The problem for Gmiter will be keeping it on. That's really the deal with all of the developmental players who have changed their bodies so dramatically since coming to West Virginia.
How they look today might not be the same late in the season when they get worn down.
"That's why we invest so heavily in all of this technology," Brown explained. "That's why the Rockefeller Institute (RNI) has been so important in our development. If you look at the things we offer our players from a recovery aspect and how we track them, we give them every opportunity to repeat their best. Anybody can be great once. The teams that are truly special, and the players that are truly special, can repeat their best, and the ones who can do that are the ones who are heavily invested in their bodies."
Which is why Gmiter and several other players sat down with team nutritionist Haley Bishop and Joseph to come up with a nutritional plan for the season.
After Wednesday's practice, Gmiter and the rest of his teammates had a gallon jug of electrolytes they were required to drink before the end of the day. Gmiter is a heavy sweater, and he said he can lose up to as much as 10 pounds during one hard practice.
Therefore, that jug a fluid he carries around with him after practice is vitally important to the overall recovery process.
"As soon as you get off the field, you've got to start the recovery process," he explained. "By the time we get back for our team meeting at 4 o'clock, I've got to get some of that back so that jug is pretty much gone. It's rough, but it's needed."
Gmiter said if he's really thirsty he can get the solution down in about three or four hours, but otherwise, he's pretty much a sipper.
As for his caloric intake, the senior indicated he's not a calorie counter, but the strength and conditioning staff does chart his weight before and after each practice. Even if he loses as much as 10 pounds in one practice, as he did the other day, by the next morning he is able to get it back.
He said that means as many as four meals a day during training camp, plus a couple of snacks.
"We burn close to 5,000 calories a day in practice, so I have to find a way to get that back in my body and keep it so I don't have a deficit," Gmiter noted. "Sitting down with (Mike and Haley) has really helped. Mike is one of the best in the country, if not the best, and Haley is great with putting (nutritional) plans together. I think it really showed this offseason."
So, how are those additional pounds working out?
"It just gives you more power and once you get going, it's hard to get stopped and pushed back," he said. "The same thing in the pass game, if you are getting a bull rush, you can just sit your weight down and that was really my biggest struggle. If I got a bull rush last year, I didn't have as much weight to sit down."
As for his go-to meal when he's at home, it's probably not something the rest of us calorie watchers would want to duplicate.
"Some rice and two fried eggs and combine it with soy sauce, butter and some cheese. It's probably not the healthiest thing, but it works," he laughed.
Following this morning's light practice, no on-field activities are planned for Friday. The team will have a heavy workout on Saturday morning with some hitting and live tackling, and Brown is scheduled to address the media in the team room afterward.
A video of Brown's remarks will be available on Mountaineer football's official YouTube channel YouTube.com/wvusports on Saturday afternoon.
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Going Heavier This Year a Good Thing for Mountaineers' Gmiter - West Virginia University Athletics - WVU Athletics
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