Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 25, 1992 TAG: 9201240326
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS STEUART
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
FOR A LITTLE GUY, ROBERT CRAFT HAS A VERY STRONG SIDE
Robert Craft is 6-1 and a slender 190 pounds, which is not much of a frame to hurl a 12-pound steel ball 48 feet, 1 1/2 inches.But that's what he did to set a Christiansburg High School record Jan. 15 at an indoor track meet at Virginia Tech.
Just four days before, the 18-year-old senior had reached an important milestone. At VMI's Keydet Invitational, he defeated all comers in a field dominated by athletes from Group AAA schools. Christiansburg was one of only three AA squads; 47 AAA teams were on hand.
After advancing to the final round from the third flight, Craft out-heaved seven competitors with a 47-foot throw.
"I almost wanted to cry," Craft said. "But, as small as I am, it brings out the strong side of you when you place ahead of those big 250-pound guys."
When Craft gets home from a meet, his father always asks how he'd done. On this occasion, the elder Craft was asleep when Robert came in at 1 a.m. Yet, true to form, he awoke to ask, "Did you win?"
"I said `I won,' and Dad got out of that bed pretty quick," Craft said. "I think he and Mom were about as happy as I was."
That may have been more of a feat than setting the school record several days later. He said breaking the school standard was what he would remember later, though.
The younger Craft doesn't look like your typical shot putter. No muscles bulge through his T-shirt. But he is explosive.
"That is the key to his success," said Christiansburg head coach Randy Bailey. "A lot of people think it's power, but it's not."
Make no mistake, though. This guy is powerful.
The indoor track program at Christiansburg has an award system with three echelons. The toughest to achieve is the "Super Iron Demon."
The minimum standards are a 7-6 standing broad jump; a 60-yard run in 7.2 seconds; a 42-second 330-yard run; an incline bench press of 200-pounds and a 200-pound clean and jerk.
Craft's qualifications: an 8-8 standing broad jump; a 6.8 60; a 40.0 330-yard run; and a 200-plus bench press.
The only one he has not achieved is the 200-pound clean and jerk; he's up to 175 pounds, though.
Because of the team's rigorous weight program, it is no wonder Craft is in top shape. He has under his belt five seasons of football and four of indoor track, and he heads into his fourth year of outdoor track in March.
He has been successful in both track and football. He was the Blue Demons' center.
Bailey said Craft told him he thought only speedy Christiansburg running back Chris Carter was faster than he.
"Yeah, he thinks he is the second-fastest player on the team and he plays center," Bailey said.
But Bailey conceded Craft could run with the sprinters.
He has talent, but that isn't the whole story.
"I have found that you have to keep yourself dedicated," Craft said. "And you have to work hard if you are going to be successful at anything."