Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/266614
IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 29 f Passion. Toughness, the mental kind just as relevant as the physical. And Robinson seems to check all those boxes. He was savvy enough to recognize which type of leadership role he had to play on each of his teams — foot- ball, wrestling and track. When there was another more dominant pres- ence vocally, someone willing to de- liver rousing speeches, he deferred and relied more on being the person to set the tone at practice. His résumé is loaded with success- es. From helping spark the transfor- mation of the football program as a highlight-reel-machine consistent- ly re-introducing running backs to gravity, to pushing from an average wrestler as a freshman to someone who had won 97 consecutive match- es entering this year's state finals, to someone surging in the circle as a top performer in the state in shot put and discus. His unwillingness to take a break, ever, is driven by his love, both for the sports and of competing. The day after his senior season ended in football, Robinson was in the wrestling room getting ready for the season. As soon as track started workouts, he was eager to dive in. But he was explicitly told he couldn't participate in two practices at once. "Or else I would," he said, adding the day after he, hopefully, caps his wrestling season with a second consecutive undefeated run to a title, he'll be at track practice. "That's how it's been for him. It's one sport to the next sport. I'm just like, 'Can you please just go to prom? I'll find you a date,'" said Clay-Erving, laughing. "He's like, 'Mom, I don't have problems finding a date. I just don't want to go.' "He just focuses on sports." As for his toughness, well … "There is something about being physical that is just in me," he said. "My brother was always a basketball player. He dealt with all that. I never had any type of in- terest for that. I always went to the more physical sports like football and wrestling. Track isn't as physical, but it definitely is com- petitive, to say the least. "I'm a very aggressive player and I work my hardest on the field to al- ways do my best. So I think that's a great mentality for me to have com- ing into Purdue." EvEn morE But Robinson wasn't only recruited for his intangibles. The guy can play. As a senior, Robinson had a whop- ping 11 sacks, 31 tackles for a loss and 100 tackles for Lake Central. He played mostly as a stand-up defensive end in the scheme, allowing him to use a burst to bust past offensive line- men and get quickly into the backfield and blow up plays. He can easily make the transition to play either middle or weakside linebacker at Purdue, though, Freeman said. Inside line- backer really is the best spot for Robinson, an undersized end at 6-foot-2, about 230 pounds, and Freeman thinks he plays in space well and moves well. Robinson will need to pursue well and show a high motor at the college level, as well as an ability to disen- gage when he gets locked up by 300-plus-pound offen- sive linemen. Freeman thinks Robinson can. Using "hand-to-hand combat" in wrestling and as a lineman has helped him, Freeman said. And if more needs to be done, Freeman isn't worried. "He's all about work," Freeman said. "You look at him over his wrestling career. His freshman year was average. His sophomore year, he placed in the state. Junior year, state champion. Senior year, hasn't been taken down in two years. He's a stud. In football, as a true freshman, he played varsity but he was OK. He just got better. That's exciting as a coach because you say, 'This guy continues to improve year after year after year.' So you're going to get him here and he's hopefully going to be at high level but hopefully improve, improve, improve." j Brian Neubert As a senior, Robinson played mostly as a stand-up defensive end, allowing him to quickly get in the backfield to rack up 11 sacks and 100 tackles. He'll be a linebacker for Purdue.