The U.S. Government could rebuild a man for $6 million, but that's a bit more than Rudder head football coach C.M. Pier can afford.

All he had to use were a track and field program and offseason workouts, which worked out just fine for cornerback and wide receiver Domonique Robison.

"I got a lot faster and stronger, grew a little bit, too," Robison said. "That really helped my confidence playing. I have fun hitting people now, going up for jump balls, maybe getting an interception. I haven't gotten one yet, but they haven't thrown to my side much."

Robison gained height, weight and speed in the offseason, which has helped his confidence immensely. Of course, it's also helped his raw athletic ability a tad too.

"Domonique is a very hard-working young man," Pier said. "The transformation from his freshman year until now has been really something to behold. He's really blossomed as an athlete. As a freshman, he ran track. He didn't want to, but he really took off physically. He went from the bottom-tier of athletes to the very top."

Rudder had a tough time in 2008, especially during district play. The defense was run over by prolific Class 3A rushing offenses like Caldwell, Navasota and Madisonville.

The Rangers faced another test last Friday in a 25-6 loss to Cleveland to open the season, but came away with a little more confidence in their defensive unit.

"We came out in the second half ready to play," Robison said. "In the first half, we had a little bit of jitters with the first game. This week, we know we can play. We're having fun playing on Friday nights."

Robison's new physique was tested as Cleveland rushed 46 times, but the cornerback held up well and finished second on the team with 10 tackles. The junior also caught one pass for 16 yards on offense.

Having a cornerback with good hands is a luxury for most teams, but it's just one of Robison's many skills on the field, according to Pier.

"He tackles real well and is one of our better tacklers," Pier said. "He's one of our best defensive players and is one of our better receivers. He has really good hands and has good football instincts. He's one of our tougher, smarter kids and allows us to do some things in the [secondary] that we wouldn't normally be able to do."

Robison's hands and athleticism make him a turnover threat and a good run supporter on defense. Offensively, his speed and strength make him a good vertical threat as well, something he inherited from his father.

"My whole family is into sports," Robison said. "My daddy was a good running back back in high school, and I guess his genes ran off onto me. He likes that I play defense, though."