Temple University Athletics
Football's Michael Dogbe Shows How He's #TempleTUFF
9.7.18 | Football
PHILADELPHIA- At Temple, the "workout warrior" represents the hardest-working players on the team, specifically, those who push themselves in the weight room.
It represents the players who push themselves to their peak physical limits, but they continue to push themselves and their teammates to get bigger, stronger, faster and better.
Michael Dogbe is the epitome of that philosophy. He earned a single-digit jersey #9 before the season, a testament to his work ethic, especially in the weight room.
Bench pressing over 500 pounds and squatting over 600 pounds, Dogbe has pushed himself over the last five years to get to this point. It all started after the last game of his freshman year in high school.
"I wanted to increase my playing time so I went to my high school coach and I asked him what I have to do to be a potential starter," Dogbe said. "He said, 'You gotta live in the weight room. The weight room can make or break players and that's where all the hard work needs to be done.'"
Dogbe took his words to heart, and headed to the weight room on a regular basis to build up his strength and his size, with the mindset that he wanted to mold himself into a starter.
"As a freshman, every day, first guy in there, last one out, trying to compete with the older guys, really taking it seriously," Dogbe said. "That basically shaped my whole career going through high school and college, just being a weight room guy and knowing it's the type of player I wanna be."
As he began to lift and hit the weight room more, Dogbe set goals for himself to where his progress was continual and successful.
"First, it would be gaining weight, getting stronger with all the main lifts, just trying to build my body into a better high school football player," Dogbe said. "I wanted to look the part and I wanted to be the part, so I took advantage of an open weight room, being around coaches that would help me reach my goals."
When Dogbe came to Temple, his regimen didn't change, but the Owls coaching staff helped him build agility and mobility at his position.
"Coming into college, they teach you how to work the smaller muscles, a lot more mobility and flexibility," Dogbe said. "I was still learning how to help my body cope with the rigors of playing football for months, but participating in flexibility and mobility training really helped me out as well."
While Dogbe continues to push himself in the weight room, it's his teammates that continue to motivate him to go harder and set new bars for himself to reach.
"I love to compete. If I see someone throw up 500 on the squat, I wanna do 550. It's the type of player I am," Dogbe said. "I'm a powerful, strong player, so just having that aspect of the game, it really helps me play the position I play. The weight room is always gonna be my best friend."
Dogbe is arguably the toughest Temple player in the weight room, but he serves to inspire his fellow teammates. He is looking to help out himself and his teammates get stronger and compete harder.
Dogbe will leave a legacy, on the field and in the weight room.
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It represents the players who push themselves to their peak physical limits, but they continue to push themselves and their teammates to get bigger, stronger, faster and better.
Michael Dogbe is the epitome of that philosophy. He earned a single-digit jersey #9 before the season, a testament to his work ethic, especially in the weight room.
Bench pressing over 500 pounds and squatting over 600 pounds, Dogbe has pushed himself over the last five years to get to this point. It all started after the last game of his freshman year in high school.
"I wanted to increase my playing time so I went to my high school coach and I asked him what I have to do to be a potential starter," Dogbe said. "He said, 'You gotta live in the weight room. The weight room can make or break players and that's where all the hard work needs to be done.'"
Dogbe took his words to heart, and headed to the weight room on a regular basis to build up his strength and his size, with the mindset that he wanted to mold himself into a starter.
"As a freshman, every day, first guy in there, last one out, trying to compete with the older guys, really taking it seriously," Dogbe said. "That basically shaped my whole career going through high school and college, just being a weight room guy and knowing it's the type of player I wanna be."
As he began to lift and hit the weight room more, Dogbe set goals for himself to where his progress was continual and successful.
"First, it would be gaining weight, getting stronger with all the main lifts, just trying to build my body into a better high school football player," Dogbe said. "I wanted to look the part and I wanted to be the part, so I took advantage of an open weight room, being around coaches that would help me reach my goals."
When Dogbe came to Temple, his regimen didn't change, but the Owls coaching staff helped him build agility and mobility at his position.
"Coming into college, they teach you how to work the smaller muscles, a lot more mobility and flexibility," Dogbe said. "I was still learning how to help my body cope with the rigors of playing football for months, but participating in flexibility and mobility training really helped me out as well."
While Dogbe continues to push himself in the weight room, it's his teammates that continue to motivate him to go harder and set new bars for himself to reach.
"I love to compete. If I see someone throw up 500 on the squat, I wanna do 550. It's the type of player I am," Dogbe said. "I'm a powerful, strong player, so just having that aspect of the game, it really helps me play the position I play. The weight room is always gonna be my best friend."
Dogbe is arguably the toughest Temple player in the weight room, but he serves to inspire his fellow teammates. He is looking to help out himself and his teammates get stronger and compete harder.
Dogbe will leave a legacy, on the field and in the weight room.
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Players Mentioned
DT
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