p r e s e n t s
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r e c r u i t i n g
Bring It On
Robinson welcomes attention, contact
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com
HAMMOND, Ind. — If Gelen Robinson gets his way
next fall, he'll be sporting No. 13 for the Boilermaker
football team, an uncommon number for his projected middle linebacker position but one with tremendous significance to him and his family.
And if he does, it'll be a clear reflection of his willingness — eagerness, actually — to embrace the
long shadow cast by his father, Purdue basketball
legend Glenn Robinson, not shy away from it.
Glenn Robinson, of course, was one of the greatest
and most well-known athletes in Purdue history, the
former National Player-of-the-Year and No. 1 NBA
draft pick.
Two decades later, his second son will follow his
path to West Lafayette, albeit to play an entirely different sport.
For his part, Gelen Robinson knows a measure of
undue attention, if not expectation, might greet him
at Purdue, on his last name alone.
Bring it on, the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder from Lake
Central High School in Northwest Indiana says.
"I don't see it as pressure, but as motivation to
live up to my dad's standards," Gelen Robinson said
recently, after Lake Central warmed up for the 2013
38
IllustrateD volume 24, issue 1
Brian Neubert
At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Gelen Robinson has the motor
to be an effective pass rusher in the Big Ten. He inherited
the power from from his father Glenn Robinson, a 1994
All-American under Coach Gene Keady.
season with a scrimmage at Morton High School in
Hammond. "Obviously it's two different sports, but
that's still a pretty high standard he's set."
Gelen Robinson is a prized recruit for new Purdue
coach Darrell Hazell and his staff, a four-star prospect in Rivals.com's assessment and a player the new
Boilermaker brass genuinely coveted, not only for his
ability but also for his potential as an attention-getting statement recruit as Purdue looks to re-establish
its brand among the top high school players in Indiana.
His commitment was viewed as a signature moment toward that end.
In part for that reason, he'll be closely scrutinized
upon enrollment.
But the Robinson Name will add to it, probably
making him an instant fan favorite among those who
fondly remember Glenn Robinson's dominance for
f
