Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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54 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN The standard was set at the Naper- ville (Ill.) Neuqua Valley program by Isaiah Robertson during his time with the Wildcats. The Notre Dame early enrollee cer- tainly left his mark. Robertson achieved a couple of firsts in the school's history — he was the first freshman to play varsity and also the first to receive an offer from a Southeastern Conference program (Vanderbilt). Though Robertson did not play during the regular season of his fresh- man year, he showed Neuqua Valley head coach Bill Ellinghaus enough with his performance on the fresh- man team to earn a spot on varsity for the state playoffs. And Robertson made the most of his chance by mak- ing a play. "It was like third-and-eight and their top receiver ran a corner route and they threw it up to him, but I broke it up and almost picked it with one hand," Robertson said. "It was a big excitement play and the first one of my varsity career. "When I found out I was going to play with varsity, it was a rush of excitement and a lot of emotion. I mean it was the first chance to re- ally get to play under the lights, so I was very excited. When I got in I just remember my head being scrambled and blurred kind of. It was a rush and a lot fun." Once Robertson earned the distinc- tion of being the first freshman at the school to play varsity football, the expectations and pressure naturally increased. Not for Robertson, who used his early taste of success as fuel. "There wasn't a lot of pressure," he said. "It definitely called me to work and be the best player I could for the team that next season. I didn't feel the pressure. "There might have been some, but I didn't really feel it." Robertson started his sophomore season and burst on the scene catch- ing 30 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns. Following the conclu- sion of the season, he realized the possibilities he could have for his future. "After my sophomore year, I kind of figured out I had something going for me," Robertson said. "I knew I had to keep working and what was going to push me over the edge. I wrapped my mind around all that and just took off with it. "After the season we had and re- flecting on it, you have people always telling you had a great season and this is going to happen to you. You just get that in your brain and start to believe. And then the first offer comes in. After that it just took off from there." His sophomore campaign was only the beginning for Robertson as a starter. He took the next step and be- came a full-time starter on both sides of the ball his final two seasons while even playing special teams. Robertson will begin his Irish ca- reer at safety, but possesses the skills to play wide receiver if a switch be- comes necessary during his career in South Bend. Either way, he believes his time as a full-time starter on both sides at Neuqua Valley will serve him well. "To be a good player you have to understand your side and the other side as well," Robertson said. "I feel me being able to play both ways, it gives me an advantage knowing what is going to happen on the offen- sive side of the ball and read things better." Playing college football was the goal, and the consensus four-star athlete knew it would not be easy. Robertson earned more and more of- fers during those final two seasons at Neuqua Valley before he ultimately selected the Irish in April 2016, setting another standard for future Wildcats to shoot for and cementing a spot for himself at a historic college program. "[Playing in college] has always been my dream," Robertson said. "What I took away from that was if I worked hard enough and outworked everyone that what I wanted was go- ing to happen. That's been the story my entire career. "I work more constantly than other people, and good things happen to you and you get what you deserve. It was just a blessing." Robertson is already several weeks Isaiah Robertson Blazes A Trail At Neuqua Valley Rivals rates Robertson as a four-star recruit, the No. 4 prospect in Illinois, and the No. 18 athlete and No. 202 overall player nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM