Maxx comparisons
South Carolina defensive line coach Travian Robertson was on the telephone, breaking down why he thinks his former player, Tonka Hemingway, will succeed in the NFL.
“I see him being a pass-rusher in the NFL will be his main attribute,” Robertson told Silver and Black Pride in a telephone interview. “He is an all-around player and he can play anywhere on he line, but I just see him being a big-time pass-rusher. He cares so much. He’s all business. He’s all football. The main thing is the main thing for him, He’s never going to stop working.”
When Robertson was told that he was describing another Raiders fourth-round draft pick, Maxx Crosby, the coached laughed.
“Yes, that’s the thing, I see Maxx in him,” Robertson said. “I think it’s going to be a very good thing that Tonka will have Maxx with him.”
And the relationship has already started.
Hemingway excitedly called his college coach to to him that Crosby facetimed him shortly after the Las Vegas Raiders took him in the fourth round.
“He couldn’t believe he heard from Maxx,“ Robertson said. “It’s going to be a good thing.”
The Raiders are planning to use Hemingway as a defensive tackle, but at 6-foot-3, 284 pounds, Hemingway is considered a tweener. Even if he plays in the interior, Robertson thinks Hemingway can develop into a double-digit sack artist in the NFL.
“There’s no doubt, it’s just the way he works,” Robertson said. ”He has that type of potential.”
Robertson said he though the Washington Commanders might select Hemingway because head coach Dan Quinn showed a lot of interest. That makes sense because Quinn was new Raiders’ head coach Pete Carroll’s defensive coordinator in Seattle. So, clearly Hemingway seems to fit what both Carroll and Quinn like to do defensively.
Robertson said he did hear form the Raiders during the pre-draft process and thinks he will be a good fit there and the quiet Hemingway is ready for the challenge of the NFL.
“Tonka is really quiet … he’s focused on the job,” Robertson said. “He’s a business man. It’s all about the pads. Tonka is a beast and he will do great there.”