Denard Robinson
Encyclopedia
Denard Xavier Robinson nicknamed Shoelace, is an American football
player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team
. He started at quarterback
in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football
team in 2010. In the same year, he set the single-season Division I FBS record for rush
ing yards by a quarterback and became the only player in NCAA
history to both pass
and rush for 1,500 yards. Robinson also broke the Big Ten Conference
season record with 4,272 yards of total offense
(2,570 yards passing and 1,702 yards rushing) and led the conference in rushing. He was awarded the 2010 Chicago Tribune Silver Football
as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference and was selected by the Football Writers Association of America
as a first-team All-American
. He also set the Big Ten single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback and is the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to both pass for 200 yards and rush for 200 yards in a regular season game twice in his career, accomplishing that feat in his first full season as a starter.
He enrolled at the University of Michigan
in 2009 and was the school's second-string quarterback as a true freshman. In the 2010 season opener against Connecticut
, Robinson broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards and also broke the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He shattered his own records in his second start at quarterback against Notre Dame
with 258 rushing yards and 502 yards of total offense. During the 2010 season, Robinson had six of the top ten single-game performances in total yards in Michigan history.
Robinson acquired the nickname "Shoelace" because he has played football since age 10 with his shoelaces untied. He also competes as a sprinter for the Michigan men's track and field team
. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, and he recorded the fastest competition time in 2010 among Michigan's sprinters in the 60-meter dash.
Robinson continued to play football without tying his shoelaces and became known as "Shoelace." One reporter who visited his family to watch a Michigan game noted, "To everyone in Deerfield Beach -- everyone but his mother, that is -- there is no Denard, just Shoelace." Robinson's high school coach, Art Taylor, explained his rationale for accepting the practice:
At the college level, his coaches at the University of Michigan
also accepted Robinson's practice. After learning that Robinson could run the 100 meters in 10.4 seconds with his shoes untied, Michigan quarterbacks coach Rod Smith called it "the damnedest thing I've ever seen" and added, "Anybody that runs that fast I'm not going to tell him how to tie his shoes." Robinson wears Adidas
Reggie2 Superfly shoes with Velcro
straps to secure them to his feet.
for the varsity football team at Deerfield Beach High School
in Deerfield Beach, Florida
. The team's defensive coordinator at the time was former Buffalo Bills
defensive back Manny Martin
, who was also Robinson's algebra teacher. Martin later recalled that he had an experienced defensive backfield, but Robinson "was always in my ear: 'I can do it.'" Robinson did not win a spot on the varsity team and instead played quarterback for the junior-varsity team as a ninth grader.
Robinson became the starting quarterback for the Deerfield Beach varsity team as a sophomore and filled that position for three years from 2006 to 2008. Deerfield Beach head coach Art Taylor recalled, "As soon as he stepped on that field his sophomore year playing varsity, we knew we had something special."
In a 2007 state semifinal game played at the Orange Bowl
, Robinson led his team to within two points of upsetting Miami Northwestern
, the top-ranked high school team in the country. While warming up, Robinson noticed that a Miami Northwestern lineman had taped a photograph of Robinson onto the front of his helmet. Robinson started laughing and told the player, "You think that scares us?" Robinson had Deerfield ahead in the game, 12–7, but Miami Northwestern completed a 99-yard touchdown
drive with 18 seconds left to give them a 14–12 win.
In October 2008 against St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Robinson was responsible for six touchdowns in a single game, pass
ing for 342 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown. As a three-year starter for Deerfield Beach, Robinson totaled nearly 6,000 yards of total offense with 4,784 passing yards (262 for 576 passing) and 1,132 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry).
Robinson also competed in track for Deerfield Beach. In March 2009, he ran the 100 meters sprint in 10.44 seconds, and finished third in the 100-meter dash at the 2008 Florida 4A Track & Field State Championships. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds. He was also a member of the 2008 Florida High School Athletic Association
state champion 4 x 100 metres relay
team.
ranked Robinson seventh in the country as a general athlete and 101st regardless of position. Rivals.com
ranked him 14th as a general athlete and 188th overall. Scout.com
categorized him as a cornerback
and ranked him 16th in the nation. Robinson received scholarship offers from Florida
, Georgia
, Kansas State
, Michigan
, and other programs. Michigan initially recruited Robinson as a defensive back
, and Robinson declined. Robinson recalled that it was one of his goals to play quarterback at the college level. After observing his passing abilities, Michigan recruited Robinson as a quarterback. On February 4, 2009, Robinson announced that he had signed a National Letter of Intent
to attend Michigan.
and junior Nick Sheridan. Forcier, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice, was named the starting quarterback, but Robinson saw significant playing time as a true freshman, appearing in all 12 games.
On September 5, 2009, in Michigan's season opener against Western Michigan
, Robinson scored a touchdown on his first collegiate snap
. As the ESPN television broadcast focused on his untied shoelaces, Robinson took the snap in the shotgun formation
, ran to the right, broke a tackle at the 40-yard line, then cut
left and ran 43 yards for a touchdown.
Two weeks later against Eastern Michigan
, he ran quarterback draw play
s for touchdowns of 13 and 36 yards, though he also threw two interceptions.
In Michigan's October 10 game against Iowa
, Robinson replaced Forcier in the fourth quarter with the team trailing 30–21. He led the team on a 59-yard scoring drive capped by his own 3-yard touchdown run with 3:16 left to cut the lead to 30–28. However, on the following drive, Robinson's threw an interception at Michigan's 31-yard line with 44 seconds remaining in the game.
Robinson led the Wolverines on four scoring drives against Delaware State
, throwing his first two collegiate touchdown passes and scoring a rushing touchdown as well. His only start of the season came on November 14 as a running back
against Wisconsin
.
During the 2009 season, Robinson completed 14 of 31 passes for 188 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also ran for 351 yards and five touchdowns in 69 attempts.
during his freshman year. In January 2010, Robinson told a reporter, "When I was getting recruited I always wanted to run track and play football. It helped me move faster on the football field." Michigan track coach Fred LaPlante said Robinson had one of the 10 fastest 100-meter high-school times in the United States in 2009 and described Robinson the sprinter as "one of the four or five best guys in the Big Ten." LaPlante emphasized Robinson's "quickness":
Robinson won the 60-meter dash in his college track debut in "The Dual" against Ohio State on January 16, 2010. His time of 6.81 stood up as the best by a Wolverine for the season. He finished fifth in the 60-meter dash at the Meyo Invitational on February 6, 2010. He finished ninth in the event at the 2010 Big Ten Indoor Championships in late February 2010, failing to qualify for the finals by four-thousandths of a second.
LaPlante recalled becoming panic-stricken during a practice race when Robinson was "running so fast he was having trouble holding the turn." Concerned about an injury to the football team's quarterback, LaPlante yelled out, "Denard! Please, don't do that again! I'll be fired in 2 seconds!" LaPlante recalled Robinson's reaction: "He had that great big smile on his face."
: "The prevailing belief is that Robinson has worked hard enough and improved enough to earn the job. He took significant steps in spring practice, and from all accounts, he showed his teammates an incredible devotion to offseason conditioning and film viewing, all in the interest of honing his game and improving Michigan's chances."
Even on the morning of Michigan's season opener, the Chicago Sun-Times
reported that "the mystery surrounding who would be the Wolverines' No. 1 quarterback was a major story line, with coach Rich Rodriguez keeping his decision secret until the very last minute."
. In the first half, he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for an average of 8.7 yards per carry. He finished the game with 383 yards of total offense, including 186 passing yards (19 of 22 passing) and 197 rushing yards on 29 carries (6.9 yards per carry). Robinson's rushing yardage against UConn was the most ever by a Michigan quarterback. He also broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards. For his efforts Robinson earned Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week, AT&T ESPN All-America Player
of the Week, and Walter Camp Football Foundation
National Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
Less than a week after his performance in the Connecticut game, the New York Daily News
wrote that Robinson had acquired "cult hero" status: "He has started only one game at quarterback for Michigan, but Denard Robinson is already a cult hero to the Wolverine faithful."
against its traditional rival. He finished the game with 502 of Michigan's 532 yards of total offense (258 rushing yards and 244 passing yards), breaking the Michigan record he set in his first start. In the first half, Robinson had an 87-yard touchdown run that ranks as the longest run from scrimmage
in Notre Dame Stadium
's 80-year history. He also scored the winning touchdown with 27 seconds remaining on a two-yard run, capping a 12-play, 72-yard drive. Robinson broke Mike Kafka
's Big Ten Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback and became the ninth quarterback in NCAA history (and the first since Pat White in 2006) to rush and pass for more than 200 yards in a single game. His rushing total also ranks as the all-time best in a road game by any Michigan player, regardless of position.
After the game, Brandon Graham
, who played with Robinson at Michigan in 2009 and now plays with Michael Vick
on the Philadelphia Eagles
told reporters that Robinson is even quicker than Vick: "Both of them are pretty fast, I just think Vick's older; he's not really that fast like how Shoelace is. I think Shoelace is more quick than Vick, but Vick, he gets away. He's pretty fast still. I think Shoelace might have got him by a couple steps."
Robinson's performance drew praise from the national media. The Wall Street Journal
called Robinson "the breakout star of the young 2010 season" and drew attention to his "absurd rushing totals." Columnist Mitch Albom
wrote: "Denard Robinson redefined the term 'offensive weapon' on Saturday against Notre Dame." ESPN
college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit
noted the "confident aura" around Robinson:
Gregg Doyel
, national columnist for CBSSports.com
, proclaimed Robinson the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy
: "Denard Robinson has earned the right to pole position
in the Heisman race. It's not close. And if he stays healthy, I fully expect him to walk across a stage in New York City in December and take that trophy home."
For his performance against Notre Dame, Robinson was selected for the second consecutive week as the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week, the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, and the CBSSports.com Player of the Day. He is the first player to earn the Walter Camp honor two weeks in a row, and the fourth to do so twice in a season. He was also named the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week. CBS Sports
' Verne Lundquist
joked: "He might become the first guy to win both the Davey O'Brien
and the Doak Walker
."
Robinson totaled 455 rushing yards and 885 yards of total offense in the first two games of the 2010 season, which led Division I FBS. Through the first two weeks of the season, Robinson had by himself outgained 87 of the 120 FBS teams in total offense.
in the fifth game of the season, Robinson totaled 494 yards of total offense, the second-highest single-game total in Michigan history. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and he gained 217 rushing yards on 19 carries for an average of 11.4 yards per carry. On Michigan's second play from scrimmage, Robinson ran 72 yards for a touchdown. On the second play of the second half, Robinson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway
, the longest of his career, to give Michigan a 28-21 lead. On Michigan's next drive, Robinson aggravated the knee injury sustained the prior week against Bowling Green and came out of the game for the remainder of the drive. He returned to the game and led Michigan on a game-winning, 65-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the game. With 21 seconds remaining, Robinson completed a 32-yard pass to the 4-yard line. On the next play, Robinson scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining.
With his performance against Indiana, Robinson became the first player in Division I FBS history to have two regular season games with 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing. Seven others have accomplished the feat (including Pat White, Vince Young
, and Antwaan Randle El
), but none have done so more than once in the regular season. Vince Young accomplished this feat once in the regular season and once in the Rose Bowl.
After the Indiana game, Dari Nowkhah
wrote in ESPN's "Heisman Watch" column that Robinson was "running away with the Heisman Trophy" and compared him to 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders
:
On October 4, 2010, Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (for the third time in five weeks), and also received the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week award (for the second time in four weeks). After five games, Robinson remained the nation's leading rusher in both total yards (905) and yards per game (181). He also ranked fourth in the country with a quarterback rating of 180.
, Iowa
and Penn State
.
In a 34–17 loss to Michigan State in the Paul Bunyan Trophy
game, Robinson completed 17 of 29 passes for 215 passing yards but threw three interceptions. He was also limited to 86 rushing yards on 21 carries. Despite a "lackluster" performance against the Spartans, Sports Illustrated
selected Robinson for its "September Heisman" following the Michigan State game. He was also selected by Mark Schlabach
as the Offensive MVP in ESPN.com's Mid-Season Awards.
One week after the loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines lost to Iowa, 38–28. Robinson was limited to 96 passing yards and 105 rushing yards and threw his fifth interception of the season. In the third quarter, Robinson suffered a shoulder injury and did not return to the game.
Michigan's record dropped to 5–3 with a 41–31 loss to Penn State. Despite the loss, Robinson's offensive output rebounded against the Nittany Lions. He rushed for 191 yards on 27 carries (an average of 7.1 yards per carry) and passed for another 190 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Koger. With 191 rushing yards against Penn State, Robinson's season rushing total reached 1,287 yards, breaking Antwaan Randle El
's Big Ten record of 1,270 rushing yards by a quarterback.
. On the first play from scrimmage, Robinson threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree
. In the second quarter, Robinson also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Roundtree and another 75-yard pass to Roundtree to set up Michigan's third touchdown. Robinson set a school single-half record with 262 passing yards in the first half. Robinson came out of the game at the end of the third quarter after reporting concusion-like symptoms, including dizziness and headaches. Michigan went on to win the game 67–65. Robinson and substitute Tate Forcier
combined to break Michigan's all-time, single-game record with 419 passing yards, surpassing the prior record of 396 yards by Tom Brady
and Drew Henson
against Michigan State in 1999. The following week, Robinson, was named as one of sixteen Maxwell Award
semifinalists.
and consecutive blowout losses to Wisconsin
and Ohio State
.
In the Purdue game, Robinson turned the ball over four times (two interceptions and two lost fumbles) in heavy rain and gusting wind. Robinson was also held to a season-low 68 rushing yards against Purdue.
One week later, Michigan suffered a 48–28 loss to Wisconsin. Robinson passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, set the Division I FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback and become the first NCAA player with 1,500 rushing yards and 2,000 passing yards in the same season. However, Robinson's individual performance was overshadowed by the 20-point loss to the Badgers.
In the final game of the regular season, Michigan lost by a 30-point margin (37–7) against Ohio State in The Game. Robinson failed to register a passing or rushing touchdown for the first time in 2010. Although he rushed for 105 yards on 18 carries, he was limited to 87 passing yards. After sustaining two dislocated fingers on his non-throwing hand, Robinson was replaced in the second half by Tate Forcier.
in the 2011 Gator Bowl
, the worst defeat ever suffered by Michigan in a bowl game. Robinson completed 27 of 41 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He added 59 rushing yards on 11 carries for 313 yards of total offense, enough to break Drew Brees
' Big Ten single-season total offense record of 4,189 yards.
's Michigan single-season total offense record of 3,240 yards set in 2003. Against Wisconsin one week later, he broke the Division I FBS single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,494 yards previously held by Beau Morgan of Air Force
. He also became the first person in NCAA (all divisions) history to record 1,500 yards rushing and passing in the same season.
At the end of the regular season, Robinson received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference. He was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by the Big Ten coaches and media and by the College Football News
. Robinson was also selected as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America
as a running back, a third-team All-American by the Associated Press
as an all-purpose player, and an honorable mention quarterback selection by Sports Illustrated
and College Football News
. He finished sixth in the 2010 Heisman Trophy
voting, and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten quarterback by both the Big Ten media and College Football News.
With 313 yards of total offense in the 2011 Gator Bowl
, Robinson broke Drew Brees
' Big Ten single-season total offense record of 4,189 yards. He fell 116 yards short of Tim Biakabutuka
's Michigan school record of 1,818 rushing yards. However, he led the conference in both total offense and rushing yards per game.
. As Robinson had thrived in Rodriguez's spread offense, the coaching change led to speculation that Robinson may transfer. On January 17, 2011, Robinson ended the speculation when he issued a statement confirming that he would stay at Michigan. In the video statement released by the University of Michigan, Robinson said he seriously considered transferring and noted that Rodriguez was one of the few coaches willing to give him the chance to play quarterback at the next level. Robinson explained his decision to stay at Michigan: "This is my family. This is my home now. ... I couldn't let it go." He also noted that he talked to his teammates and told them, "'You know, I can't just leave you out there.' I've been around these guys two years and we've bonded and it's like a family here. There's nothing like this."
, the Davey O'Brien Award
, the Walter Camp Award
, the Paul Hornung Award
, and the Manning Award
. In the weeks leading up to the 2011 season, the media focused on questions surrounding Robinson's ability to adapt to the pro-style offense being implemented by new offensive coordinator, Al Borges
, and also on Borges' willingness to adjust his game plan to take advantage of Robinson's running capability. Robinson noted that the running game would remain an option even in passing situations, adding, "If nobody's open, the broken play is probably the hardest play to stop in college football -- in any football."
, Robinson completed 9 of 13 passes for 98 yards and had 46 rushing yards on eight carries. The game was ended with 1:27 left in the third quarter due to inclement weather. The NCAA
has vacated the statistics for this game because three quarters were not completed.
In Michigan's next game against Notre Dame
, Robinson completed 11 of 24 passes for 338 yards with four touchdowns and had 108 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown on a recovered fumble near the goal line. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree
with two seconds left in the fourth quarter to defeat the Irish 35–31. The performance moved Robinson into third place in Big Ten history for rushing yards by a quarterback. In recognition of his performance during the game, the Big Ten named Denard Robinson its Offensive Player of the Week, while the Davey O'Brien Award named him its Quarterback of the Week. He was also named Rivals.com
's Big Ten and National Player of the Week and was nominated for the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week, which he won by fan vote.
In Michigan's third game, against Eastern Michigan
, Robinson posted 198 rushing yards giving him five of the top ten quarterback single-game rushing outputs in conference history. His 2,405 career rushing yards remained 152 behind Juice Williams' second all-time Big Ten career total of 2,557.
In Michigan's fourth game, against San Diego State
, Robinson tallied three touchdowns in the first half on his way to a 200-yard rushing effort. The effort moved him past Williams into second place in Big Ten history on the career rushing yardage list with a total of 2,605, behind only Antwaan Randle El
(3,895). He also earned Big Ten Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
On October 8, against Northwestern
Robinson posted a total of 454 yards of total offense with 337 yards passing and 117 rushing. He scored two rushing touchdowns and had two passing.
During Michigan's November 19 victory over Nebraska
, Robinson posted 180 yards passing and 83 rushing with two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns to earn Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors from the conference. He also won the Rivals.com
Big Ten Player of the Week and was a nominee for the Capital One Cup Impact Performances of the Week.
On November 26, in the victory over Ohio State
, Fitzgerald Toussaint
joined Robinson with 1000 yards for the season, marking the first time since the 1975 team that Michigan had two 1000-yard rushers. Robinson posted a five-touchdown performance (3 passing and 2 rushing) and became the fourth player in NCAA history to gain 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season twice in his career. Robinson totalled 170 yards rushing and earned a share of his fourth Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week recognition for the season. He also repeated as the Rivals.com Big Ten Player of the Week and was a College Football Performance Awards honorable mention as the National Quarterback of the Week.
Following the 2011 Big Ten Conference football season
, he earned second team All-Conference recognition from the media.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team
2011 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolverines play in the Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which hosted its first...
. He started at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team in 2010. In the same year, he set the single-season Division I FBS record for rush
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
ing yards by a quarterback and became the only player in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history to both pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
and rush for 1,500 yards. Robinson also broke the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
season record with 4,272 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
(2,570 yards passing and 1,702 yards rushing) and led the conference in rushing. He was awarded the 2010 Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference and was selected by the Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
as a first-team All-American
2010 College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original All-America team was the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and Walter Camp...
. He also set the Big Ten single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback and is the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to both pass for 200 yards and rush for 200 yards in a regular season game twice in his career, accomplishing that feat in his first full season as a starter.
He enrolled at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 2009 and was the school's second-string quarterback as a true freshman. In the 2010 season opener against Connecticut
2010 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2010 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
, Robinson broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards and also broke the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He shattered his own records in his second start at quarterback against Notre Dame
2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 college football season. The team's head football coach was Brian Kelly. The Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
with 258 rushing yards and 502 yards of total offense. During the 2010 season, Robinson had six of the top ten single-game performances in total yards in Michigan history.
Robinson acquired the nickname "Shoelace" because he has played football since age 10 with his shoelaces untied. He also competes as a sprinter for the Michigan men's track and field team
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, and he recorded the fastest competition time in 2010 among Michigan's sprinters in the 60-meter dash.
Early life and nickname
Robinson was born in 1990, the son of Thomas Robinson, Sr., and Dorothea Robinson. Robinson began playing pee-wee football by age 10 and played the game with his shoes untied. Those who saw him play at Westside Park in Deerfield Beach recall:"Kids would go for his shoes on tackles, and he'd come up to the huddle in just socks. His coach couldn't stand it at first and neither could his parents. They'd tie wristbands around his shoes. When that didn't work, they tried athletic tape. They even rolled his socks over his shoes. He was a marvel, and he wasn't even finished with the sixth grade."
Robinson continued to play football without tying his shoelaces and became known as "Shoelace." One reporter who visited his family to watch a Michigan game noted, "To everyone in Deerfield Beach -- everyone but his mother, that is -- there is no Denard, just Shoelace." Robinson's high school coach, Art Taylor, explained his rationale for accepting the practice:
"After 25 years coaching, if the kid can throw it 90 yards in the air and is accurate and the kid can run as fast as he does ... as long as he feels comfortable, not lacing his shoes, fine with me. The kid's been doing it all his life, why mess with it?"
At the college level, his coaches at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
also accepted Robinson's practice. After learning that Robinson could run the 100 meters in 10.4 seconds with his shoes untied, Michigan quarterbacks coach Rod Smith called it "the damnedest thing I've ever seen" and added, "Anybody that runs that fast I'm not going to tell him how to tie his shoes." Robinson wears Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
Reggie2 Superfly shoes with Velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
straps to secure them to his feet.
Deerfield Beach High School
As a ninth grader, Robinson tried out for a spot as a defensive backDefensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for the varsity football team at Deerfield Beach High School
Deerfield Beach High School
Deerfield Beach High School is a public high school in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It is part of Broward School District and has an enrollment of approximately 2950....
in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, USA. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 75,018...
. The team's defensive coordinator at the time was former Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive back Manny Martin
Manny Martin
Emanuel C. "Manny" Martin is a former American football player and a current high school football coach. He played five years in the National Football League as a cornerback and safety for the Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills. He is the current head football coach at Dillard High School in Ft...
, who was also Robinson's algebra teacher. Martin later recalled that he had an experienced defensive backfield, but Robinson "was always in my ear: 'I can do it.'" Robinson did not win a spot on the varsity team and instead played quarterback for the junior-varsity team as a ninth grader.
Robinson became the starting quarterback for the Deerfield Beach varsity team as a sophomore and filled that position for three years from 2006 to 2008. Deerfield Beach head coach Art Taylor recalled, "As soon as he stepped on that field his sophomore year playing varsity, we knew we had something special."
In a 2007 state semifinal game played at the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
, Robinson led his team to within two points of upsetting Miami Northwestern
Miami Northwestern High School
Miami Northwestern Senior High School is a public high school located in Miami, Florida, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. It serves the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami. The school colors are Old Gold and Royal Blue...
, the top-ranked high school team in the country. While warming up, Robinson noticed that a Miami Northwestern lineman had taped a photograph of Robinson onto the front of his helmet. Robinson started laughing and told the player, "You think that scares us?" Robinson had Deerfield ahead in the game, 12–7, but Miami Northwestern completed a 99-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
drive with 18 seconds left to give them a 14–12 win.
In October 2008 against St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Robinson was responsible for six touchdowns in a single game, pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
ing for 342 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown. As a three-year starter for Deerfield Beach, Robinson totaled nearly 6,000 yards of total offense with 4,784 passing yards (262 for 576 passing) and 1,132 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry).
Robinson also competed in track for Deerfield Beach. In March 2009, he ran the 100 meters sprint in 10.44 seconds, and finished third in the 100-meter dash at the 2008 Florida 4A Track & Field State Championships. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds. He was also a member of the 2008 Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
state champion 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team.
College recruitment
As a high school senior, ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
ranked Robinson seventh in the country as a general athlete and 101st regardless of position. Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
ranked him 14th as a general athlete and 188th overall. Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
categorized him as a cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and ranked him 16th in the nation. Robinson received scholarship offers from Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats football
The Kansas State Wildcats football program is the intercollegiate football program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference...
, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, and other programs. Michigan initially recruited Robinson as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, and Robinson declined. Robinson recalled that it was one of his goals to play quarterback at the college level. After observing his passing abilities, Michigan recruited Robinson as a quarterback. On February 4, 2009, Robinson announced that he had signed a National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
to attend Michigan.
2009 football season
Robinson enrolled in the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology in the fall of 2009. During Michigan's 2009 summer training camp, Robinson was in competition for the starting quarterback position with fellow freshman Tate ForcierTate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
and junior Nick Sheridan. Forcier, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice, was named the starting quarterback, but Robinson saw significant playing time as a true freshman, appearing in all 12 games.
On September 5, 2009, in Michigan's season opener against Western Michigan
2009 Western Michigan Broncos football team
The 2009 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the 2009 NCAA football season. The WMU football team was coached by Bill Cubit and played their homes game in Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan...
, Robinson scored a touchdown on his first collegiate snap
Snap (football)
A snap starts each American football and Canadian football play from scrimmage.-Action:...
. As the ESPN television broadcast focused on his untied shoelaces, Robinson took the snap in the shotgun formation
Shotgun formation
The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...
, ran to the right, broke a tackle at the 40-yard line, then cut
Cutback (football move)
A cutback in football generally refers to a move a running back makes when a run play is designed to go one way but the back sees opportunity for gain elsewhere...
left and ran 43 yards for a touchdown.
Two weeks later against Eastern Michigan
2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the college football season of 2009. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season...
, he ran quarterback draw play
Draw play
A draw play, or simply draw for short, is a type of American football play. The draw appears to be a passing play, but is actually a running play; in this way, it can be considered the opposite of the play action pass. The idea behind a draw play is to attack aggressive, pass-rushing defenses by...
s for touchdowns of 13 and 36 yards, though he also threw two interceptions.
In Michigan's October 10 game against Iowa
2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes athletic program during the 2009 college football season. The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 2009 marked Kirk Ferentz's 11th year as head coach of Iowa...
, Robinson replaced Forcier in the fourth quarter with the team trailing 30–21. He led the team on a 59-yard scoring drive capped by his own 3-yard touchdown run with 3:16 left to cut the lead to 30–28. However, on the following drive, Robinson's threw an interception at Michigan's 31-yard line with 44 seconds remaining in the game.
Robinson led the Wolverines on four scoring drives against Delaware State
Delaware State Hornets football
The Delaware State University Hornets football team plays at 7,193-seat Alumni Stadium located in Dover, Delaware. The facility opened in 1957 as a multi-purpose for football, and track and field. The Hornets compete in Division I FCS, and are full-members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference...
, throwing his first two collegiate touchdown passes and scoring a rushing touchdown as well. His only start of the season came on November 14 as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
against Wisconsin
2009 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2009 Wisconsin Badgers football team competed on behalf of the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin...
.
During the 2009 season, Robinson completed 14 of 31 passes for 188 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also ran for 351 yards and five touchdowns in 69 attempts.
2010 track season
Robinson also competed for the Michigan men's track and field teamMichigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
during his freshman year. In January 2010, Robinson told a reporter, "When I was getting recruited I always wanted to run track and play football. It helped me move faster on the football field." Michigan track coach Fred LaPlante said Robinson had one of the 10 fastest 100-meter high-school times in the United States in 2009 and described Robinson the sprinter as "one of the four or five best guys in the Big Ten." LaPlante emphasized Robinson's "quickness":
"One thing in football that you don't see in track is quickness. He's incredibly quick and his lateral movement is unbelievable and his ability to go in one direction and get in another. The perception people have is that's speed. That's not speed, that's quickness."
Robinson won the 60-meter dash in his college track debut in "The Dual" against Ohio State on January 16, 2010. His time of 6.81 stood up as the best by a Wolverine for the season. He finished fifth in the 60-meter dash at the Meyo Invitational on February 6, 2010. He finished ninth in the event at the 2010 Big Ten Indoor Championships in late February 2010, failing to qualify for the finals by four-thousandths of a second.
LaPlante recalled becoming panic-stricken during a practice race when Robinson was "running so fast he was having trouble holding the turn." Concerned about an injury to the football team's quarterback, LaPlante yelled out, "Denard! Please, don't do that again! I'll be fired in 2 seconds!" LaPlante recalled Robinson's reaction: "He had that great big smile on his face."
2010 football season
Pre-season competition
During spring practice in April 2010, Robinson impressed coaches and observers, leading to speculation that Robinson would overtake Forcier as the starting quarterback. The competition continued through late August and early September 2010. In early September 2010, Angelique Chengelis profiled Robinson in The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
: "The prevailing belief is that Robinson has worked hard enough and improved enough to earn the job. He took significant steps in spring practice, and from all accounts, he showed his teammates an incredible devotion to offseason conditioning and film viewing, all in the interest of honing his game and improving Michigan's chances."
Even on the morning of Michigan's season opener, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
reported that "the mystery surrounding who would be the Wolverines' No. 1 quarterback was a major story line, with coach Rich Rodriguez keeping his decision secret until the very last minute."
A total offense record against UConn
Robinson did start Michigan's season opener against Connecticut2010 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2010 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
. In the first half, he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for an average of 8.7 yards per carry. He finished the game with 383 yards of total offense, including 186 passing yards (19 of 22 passing) and 197 rushing yards on 29 carries (6.9 yards per carry). Robinson's rushing yardage against UConn was the most ever by a Michigan quarterback. He also broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards. For his efforts Robinson earned Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week, AT&T ESPN All-America Player
AT&T ESPN All-America Player
The AT&T ESPN All-America Player is a joint marketing venture between AT&T and ESPN that allows fans to select college football's player of the week and player of the year respectively. Each "vote" counts as an entry into an AT&T sweepstakes, usually for a trip to the BCS National Championship...
of the Week, and Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
National Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
Less than a week after his performance in the Connecticut game, the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
wrote that Robinson had acquired "cult hero" status: "He has started only one game at quarterback for Michigan, but Denard Robinson is already a cult hero to the Wolverine faithful."
502 yards of total offense against Notre Dame
In his second start at quarterback, Robinson led Michigan to a 28–24 win over Notre Dame2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010 college football season. The team's head football coach was Brian Kelly. The Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
against its traditional rival. He finished the game with 502 of Michigan's 532 yards of total offense (258 rushing yards and 244 passing yards), breaking the Michigan record he set in his first start. In the first half, Robinson had an 87-yard touchdown run that ranks as the longest run from scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
in Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
's 80-year history. He also scored the winning touchdown with 27 seconds remaining on a two-yard run, capping a 12-play, 72-yard drive. Robinson broke Mike Kafka
Mike Kafka
Michael John "Mike" Kafka is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwestern.Kafka attended St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago,...
's Big Ten Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback and became the ninth quarterback in NCAA history (and the first since Pat White in 2006) to rush and pass for more than 200 yards in a single game. His rushing total also ranks as the all-time best in a road game by any Michigan player, regardless of position.
After the game, Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham (American football)
Brandon Lee Graham is an American football defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the thirteenth selection in the draft and the first from the Big Ten Conference...
, who played with Robinson at Michigan in 2009 and now plays with Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
on the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
told reporters that Robinson is even quicker than Vick: "Both of them are pretty fast, I just think Vick's older; he's not really that fast like how Shoelace is. I think Shoelace is more quick than Vick, but Vick, he gets away. He's pretty fast still. I think Shoelace might have got him by a couple steps."
Robinson's performance drew praise from the national media. The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
called Robinson "the breakout star of the young 2010 season" and drew attention to his "absurd rushing totals." Columnist Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom
Mitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
wrote: "Denard Robinson redefined the term 'offensive weapon' on Saturday against Notre Dame." ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
noted the "confident aura" around Robinson:
"The body language he exudes is, 'I'm a winner.' He's small in stature, but his heart you can almost see it pounding through his jersey. And then he has, like all the great ones, he plays with a swagger like, 'You can't stop me.'"
Gregg Doyel
Gregg Doyel
- Early life and education :Gregg Doyel was born in Hawaii. He grew up in Mississippi where his father was a law professor at the University of Mississippi...
, national columnist for CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...
, proclaimed Robinson the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
: "Denard Robinson has earned the right to pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
in the Heisman race. It's not close. And if he stays healthy, I fully expect him to walk across a stage in New York City in December and take that trophy home."
For his performance against Notre Dame, Robinson was selected for the second consecutive week as the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week, the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, and the CBSSports.com Player of the Day. He is the first player to earn the Walter Camp honor two weeks in a row, and the fourth to do so twice in a season. He was also named the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week. CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
' Verne Lundquist
Verne Lundquist
Merton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
joked: "He might become the first guy to win both the Davey O'Brien
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
and the Doak Walker
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
."
Robinson totaled 455 rushing yards and 885 yards of total offense in the first two games of the 2010 season, which led Division I FBS. Through the first two weeks of the season, Robinson had by himself outgained 87 of the 120 FBS teams in total offense.
Indiana: 494 yards of total offense
Playing against Indiana2010 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 2010 Indiana Hoosiers football team competed in football on behalf of Indiana University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. As members of the Big Ten Conference, the Hoosiers were coached by Bill Lynch and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana....
in the fifth game of the season, Robinson totaled 494 yards of total offense, the second-highest single-game total in Michigan history. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and he gained 217 rushing yards on 19 carries for an average of 11.4 yards per carry. On Michigan's second play from scrimmage, Robinson ran 72 yards for a touchdown. On the second play of the second half, Robinson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway
Junior Hemingway
-College:As a true freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team, he appeared in 10 games, but did not make his first start until September 22 against Penn State. His first receptions came during the October 6 game against Eastern Michigan when he recorded 3 catches for 33 yards. He...
, the longest of his career, to give Michigan a 28-21 lead. On Michigan's next drive, Robinson aggravated the knee injury sustained the prior week against Bowling Green and came out of the game for the remainder of the drive. He returned to the game and led Michigan on a game-winning, 65-yard touchdown drive in the final minute of the game. With 21 seconds remaining, Robinson completed a 32-yard pass to the 4-yard line. On the next play, Robinson scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining.
With his performance against Indiana, Robinson became the first player in Division I FBS history to have two regular season games with 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing. Seven others have accomplished the feat (including Pat White, Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, and Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
), but none have done so more than once in the regular season. Vince Young accomplished this feat once in the regular season and once in the Rose Bowl.
After the Indiana game, Dari Nowkhah
Dari Nowkhah
Dari Nowkhah is a current ESPN SportsCenter anchor. He also hosts extensive college football and college basketball programming on the ESPN Networks. On July 27, 2011, Nowkhah will become the lead anchor for ESPNU, replacing Lowell Galindo who is headed to the Longhorn Network. Since January...
wrote in ESPN's "Heisman Watch" column that Robinson was "running away with the Heisman Trophy" and compared him to 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
:
"We haven't seen this type of college football playmaker since ... Barry Sanders? I'm not saying Robinson reminds me of Sanders. (How could a quarterback remind me of a running back?) But there is a shocking resemblance between the diminutive playmakers in their speed, elusiveness and quickness. So is the effect the two have on my sense of what is right and wrong. Being that dominant on a football field somehow feels wrong. It's unfair."
On October 4, 2010, Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (for the third time in five weeks), and also received the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week award (for the second time in four weeks). After five games, Robinson remained the nation's leading rusher in both total yards (905) and yards per game (181). He also ranked fourth in the country with a quarterback rating of 180.
Three consecutive mid-season losses
After leading Michigan to a 5–0 record and breaking the school's total offense records, Robinson was the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. His Heisman prospects suffered after three consecutive losses to Michigan State2010 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Mark Dantonio was in his fourth season with the Spartans...
, Iowa
2010 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2010 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2010 college football season. The Hawkeyes, led by 12th year head coach Kirk Ferentz, were members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.Iowa came off of a 11–2...
and Penn State
2010 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2010 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were members of the Big Ten Conference...
.
In a 34–17 loss to Michigan State in the Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul Bunyan Trophy
The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
game, Robinson completed 17 of 29 passes for 215 passing yards but threw three interceptions. He was also limited to 86 rushing yards on 21 carries. Despite a "lackluster" performance against the Spartans, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
selected Robinson for its "September Heisman" following the Michigan State game. He was also selected by Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach is an author and columnist for ESPN.com. Schlabach joined ESPN.com in July 2006 as a college football and college basketball columnist. He is notable during college football season for the weekly "Bottom 10" article....
as the Offensive MVP in ESPN.com's Mid-Season Awards.
One week after the loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines lost to Iowa, 38–28. Robinson was limited to 96 passing yards and 105 rushing yards and threw his fifth interception of the season. In the third quarter, Robinson suffered a shoulder injury and did not return to the game.
Michigan's record dropped to 5–3 with a 41–31 loss to Penn State. Despite the loss, Robinson's offensive output rebounded against the Nittany Lions. He rushed for 191 yards on 27 carries (an average of 7.1 yards per carry) and passed for another 190 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Koger. With 191 rushing yards against Penn State, Robinson's season rushing total reached 1,287 yards, breaking Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
's Big Ten record of 1,270 rushing yards by a quarterback.
Offensive free-for-all against Illinois
In his ninth start, Robinson passed for a career-high 302 yards and ran for 62 yards against Illinois2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2010 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2010 college football season. The Fighting Illini, led by sixth-year head coach Ron Zook, are members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Memorial Stadium...
. On the first play from scrimmage, Robinson threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree
Roy Roundtree
-College:Roundtree redshirted for the 2008 season. He made his college debut on September 5, 2009 against the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium as a slot receiver. That year he roomed with Trotwood teammates Shaw and Moore. He had just two receptions in the first eight games of the...
. In the second quarter, Robinson also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Roundtree and another 75-yard pass to Roundtree to set up Michigan's third touchdown. Robinson set a school single-half record with 262 passing yards in the first half. Robinson came out of the game at the end of the third quarter after reporting concusion-like symptoms, including dizziness and headaches. Michigan went on to win the game 67–65. Robinson and substitute Tate Forcier
Tate Forcier
Robert Patrick "Tate" Forcier is an American college football quarterback. He was a starting quarterback for the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team ahead of Denard Robinson and Robinson's back up for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team before leaving the program in January 2011...
combined to break Michigan's all-time, single-game record with 419 passing yards, surpassing the prior record of 396 yards by Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
and Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
against Michigan State in 1999. The following week, Robinson, was named as one of sixteen Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
semifinalists.
Consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State
Robinson's shot at the Heisman Trophy was lost with a disappointing performance against Purdue2010 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 2010 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana and compete in the Big Ten Conference. It was Danny Hope's second season as head coach...
and consecutive blowout losses to Wisconsin
2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, were members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium...
and Ohio State
2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented The Ohio State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They were members of the Big Ten Conference...
.
In the Purdue game, Robinson turned the ball over four times (two interceptions and two lost fumbles) in heavy rain and gusting wind. Robinson was also held to a season-low 68 rushing yards against Purdue.
One week later, Michigan suffered a 48–28 loss to Wisconsin. Robinson passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, set the Division I FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback and become the first NCAA player with 1,500 rushing yards and 2,000 passing yards in the same season. However, Robinson's individual performance was overshadowed by the 20-point loss to the Badgers.
In the final game of the regular season, Michigan lost by a 30-point margin (37–7) against Ohio State in The Game. Robinson failed to register a passing or rushing touchdown for the first time in 2010. Although he rushed for 105 yards on 18 carries, he was limited to 87 passing yards. After sustaining two dislocated fingers on his non-throwing hand, Robinson was replaced in the second half by Tate Forcier.
2011 Gator Bowl
Michigan finished its 2010 season with a 52–14 loss to Mississippi State2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 2010 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 2010 college football season. Mississippi State has been a member of the Southeastern Conference since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Western Division...
in the 2011 Gator Bowl
2011 Gator Bowl
The 2011 Gator Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC, and was played on January 1, 2011 , at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the sixty sixth edition of the bowl game and was...
, the worst defeat ever suffered by Michigan in a bowl game. Robinson completed 27 of 41 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He added 59 rushing yards on 11 carries for 313 yards of total offense, enough to break Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
' Big Ten single-season total offense record of 4,189 yards.
2010 season statistics and awards
Robinson finished the 2010 season with 1,702 rushing yards (130.9 yards per game). He also passed for 2,570 yards and compiled 4,272 yards of total offense (328.6 yards per game). In the 10th game of the season against Purdue, Robinson passed John NavarreJohn Navarre
John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
's Michigan single-season total offense record of 3,240 yards set in 2003. Against Wisconsin one week later, he broke the Division I FBS single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,494 yards previously held by Beau Morgan of Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
. He also became the first person in NCAA (all divisions) history to record 1,500 yards rushing and passing in the same season.
At the end of the regular season, Robinson received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference. He was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by the Big Ten coaches and media and by the College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
. Robinson was also selected as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
as a running back, a third-team All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as an all-purpose player, and an honorable mention quarterback selection by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
. He finished sixth in the 2010 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting, and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten quarterback by both the Big Ten media and College Football News.
With 313 yards of total offense in the 2011 Gator Bowl
2011 Gator Bowl
The 2011 Gator Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC, and was played on January 1, 2011 , at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the sixty sixth edition of the bowl game and was...
, Robinson broke Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
' Big Ten single-season total offense record of 4,189 yards. He fell 116 yards short of Tim Biakabutuka
Tim Biakabutuka
Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka is a former American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL from 1996 to 2001.-College career at Michigan:...
's Michigan school record of 1,818 rushing yards. However, he led the conference in both total offense and rushing yards per game.
Decision to stay after coaching change
Following Michigan's season-ending loss in the 2011 Gator Bowl, head coach Rich Rodriguez was fired and replaced by Brady HokeBrady Hoke
Brady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...
. As Robinson had thrived in Rodriguez's spread offense, the coaching change led to speculation that Robinson may transfer. On January 17, 2011, Robinson ended the speculation when he issued a statement confirming that he would stay at Michigan. In the video statement released by the University of Michigan, Robinson said he seriously considered transferring and noted that Rodriguez was one of the few coaches willing to give him the chance to play quarterback at the next level. Robinson explained his decision to stay at Michigan: "This is my family. This is my home now. ... I couldn't let it go." He also noted that he talked to his teammates and told them, "'You know, I can't just leave you out there.' I've been around these guys two years and we've bonded and it's like a family here. There's nothing like this."
Preseason focus on adaptability to new offense
Robinson entered the 2011 season on watchlists for the Maxwell AwardMaxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
, the Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
, the Paul Hornung Award
Paul Hornung Award
The Paul Hornung Award is a college football award that was created in January 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission with the support of Paul Hornung, a native and resident of Louisville, Kentucky and member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, and the Manning Award
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
. In the weeks leading up to the 2011 season, the media focused on questions surrounding Robinson's ability to adapt to the pro-style offense being implemented by new offensive coordinator, Al Borges
Al Borges
Alan Borges is an American college football coach and the offensive coordinator of the University of Michigan football team. Borges is known for quarterback development having mentored Cade McNown and Jason Campbell, both first round NFL draft picks...
, and also on Borges' willingness to adjust his game plan to take advantage of Robinson's running capability. Robinson noted that the running game would remain an option even in passing situations, adding, "If nobody's open, the broken play is probably the hardest play to stop in college football -- in any football."
Regular season
In Michigan's 2011 season opener against Western Michigan2011 Western Michigan Broncos football team
The 2011 Western Michigan Broncos football team represents Western Michigan University during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos, led by seventh-year head coach Bill Cubit, compete in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference and play their home games at Waldo...
, Robinson completed 9 of 13 passes for 98 yards and had 46 rushing yards on eight carries. The game was ended with 1:27 left in the third quarter due to inclement weather. The NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
has vacated the statistics for this game because three quarters were not completed.
In Michigan's next game against Notre Dame
2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represents the University of Notre Dame in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Fighting Irish are led by second year head coach Brian Kelly and play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium...
, Robinson completed 11 of 24 passes for 338 yards with four touchdowns and had 108 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown on a recovered fumble near the goal line. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree
Roy Roundtree
-College:Roundtree redshirted for the 2008 season. He made his college debut on September 5, 2009 against the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium as a slot receiver. That year he roomed with Trotwood teammates Shaw and Moore. He had just two receptions in the first eight games of the...
with two seconds left in the fourth quarter to defeat the Irish 35–31. The performance moved Robinson into third place in Big Ten history for rushing yards by a quarterback. In recognition of his performance during the game, the Big Ten named Denard Robinson its Offensive Player of the Week, while the Davey O'Brien Award named him its Quarterback of the Week. He was also named Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
's Big Ten and National Player of the Week and was nominated for the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week, which he won by fan vote.
In Michigan's third game, against Eastern Michigan
2011 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2011 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team will represent Eastern Michigan University during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Eastern Michigan will compete as a member of the Mid-American Conference West Division, will be coached by Ron English, and will play their homes game at...
, Robinson posted 198 rushing yards giving him five of the top ten quarterback single-game rushing outputs in conference history. His 2,405 career rushing yards remained 152 behind Juice Williams' second all-time Big Ten career total of 2,557.
In Michigan's fourth game, against San Diego State
2011 San Diego State Aztecs football team
The 2011 San Diego State Aztecs football team represents San Diego State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aztecs are led by first-year head coach Rocky Long and play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium. They are members of the Mountain West Conference.-Schedule:...
, Robinson tallied three touchdowns in the first half on his way to a 200-yard rushing effort. The effort moved him past Williams into second place in Big Ten history on the career rushing yardage list with a total of 2,605, behind only Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
(3,895). He also earned Big Ten Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
On October 8, against Northwestern
2011 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2011 Northwestern Wildcats football team represents Northwestern University in the Big Ten during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his sixth season at Northwestern, is the team's head coach. The Wildcats home games are played at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois...
Robinson posted a total of 454 yards of total offense with 337 yards passing and 117 rushing. He scored two rushing touchdowns and had two passing.
During Michigan's November 19 victory over Nebraska
2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2011 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team will represent the University of Nebraska in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team will be coached by Bo Pelini and will play their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
, Robinson posted 180 yards passing and 83 rushing with two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns to earn Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors from the conference. He also won the Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
Big Ten Player of the Week and was a nominee for the Capital One Cup Impact Performances of the Week.
On November 26, in the victory over Ohio State
2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represents The Ohio State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes are coached by Luke Fickell on an interim basis following the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach...
, Fitzgerald Toussaint
Fitzgerald Toussaint
Fitzgerald Toussaint is an American football running back. He is currently the starting running back for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. He was a 2011 All-Big Ten honorable mention.-Early years:...
joined Robinson with 1000 yards for the season, marking the first time since the 1975 team that Michigan had two 1000-yard rushers. Robinson posted a five-touchdown performance (3 passing and 2 rushing) and became the fourth player in NCAA history to gain 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season twice in his career. Robinson totalled 170 yards rushing and earned a share of his fourth Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week recognition for the season. He also repeated as the Rivals.com Big Ten Player of the Week and was a College Football Performance Awards honorable mention as the National Quarterback of the Week.
Following the 2011 Big Ten Conference football season
2011 Big Ten Conference football season
The 2011 Big Ten Conference football season is the 116th and current season for the Big Ten. The conference started its season on Saturday, September 3, as each of the conference’s teams began their respective 2011 season of NCAA Division I FBS competition...
, he earned second team All-Conference recognition from the media.
Career statistics
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
| Season | Team | GP | Att | Comp | Comp % | Yards | Yards/Att | TD | INT | Att | Yards | Ave | TD |
| 2009 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the... |
Michigan 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference... |
10 | 31 | 14 | 45.2 | 188 | 6.1 | 2 | 4 | 69 | 409 | 5.1 | 5 |
| 2010 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for... |
Michigan 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Michigan played its home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference. The season was the first since the renovation of... |
13 | 291 | 182 | 62.5 | 2570 | 8.8 | 18 | 11 | 256 | 1702 | 6.6 | 14 |
| 2011 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011... |
Michigan 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolverines play in the Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which hosted its first... |
12 | 237 | 133 | 56.1 | 2056 | 8.7 | 18 | 14 | 208 | 1163 | 5.6 | 16 |
| Career | 35 | 559 | 329 | 58.9 | 4814 | 8.6 | 38 | 29 | 533 | 3216 | 6.0 | 35 | |
Single game
Currently, as Michigan's starting quarterback, Robinson has the six top single-game performances in total yards in Michigan history, and eight of the top ten, as reflected in the following list of the all-time, single-game leaders.| Rank | Player | Year | Opponent | Passing yards | Rushing yards | Total offense |
| 1 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Notre Dame | 244 | 258 | 502 |
| 2 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Indiana | 277 | 217 | 494 |
| 3 | Denard Robinson | 2011 | Northwestern | 337 | 117 | 454 |
| 4 | Denard Robinson | 2011 | Notre Dame | 338 | 108 | 446 |
| 5 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Connecticut | 186 | 197 | 383 |
| 6 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Penn State | 190 | 191 | 381 |
| 7 | John Navarre John Navarre John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility... |
2003 | Iowa | 389 | (21) | 368 |
| 8 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Illinois | 305 | 62 | 367 |
| 9 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Wisconsin | 239 | 121 | 360 |
| 10 | Scott Dreisbach Scott Dreisbach Scott Dreisbach is a former American football quarterback who last played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League... |
1995 | Virginia | 372 | (14) | 358 |
Single season
Michigan's top five single-season performances in total offense are set forth below. Robinson holds the single-season record for total yards, with 4272, set in 2010.| Rank | Player | Year | Passing yards | Rushing yards | Total offense |
| 1 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | 2570 | 1702 | 4272 |
| 2 | John Navarre John Navarre John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility... |
2003 | 3331 | (91) | 3240 |
| 4 | Denard Robinson | 2011 | 2056 | 1163 | 3219 |
| 3 | John Navarre | 2002 | 2905 | (16) | 2889 |
| 5 | Jim Harbaugh Jim Harbaugh James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at... |
1986 | 2729 | 118 | 2847 |
Big Ten single-game quarterback rushing yards leaders
| Rank | Player | Date | Team | Opponent | Rushing yards |
| 1 | Denard Robinson | 9/11/2010 | Michigan | Notre Dame | 258 |
| 2 | Mike Kafka Mike Kafka Michael John "Mike" Kafka is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwestern.Kafka attended St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago,... |
11/1/2008 | Northwestern | Minnesota | 217 |
| 2 | Denard Robinson | 10/2/2010 | Michigan | Indiana | 217 |
| 4 | Gary Danielson Gary Danielson Gary Danielson is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League . He played for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1985, 1987, and 1988... |
9/23/1972 | Purdue | Washington | 213 |
| 5 | Antwaan Randle El Antwaan Randle El Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997... |
10/21/2000 | Indiana | Minnesota | 210 |
| 6 | Antwaan Randle El | 11/4/2000 | Indiana | Illinois | 209 |
| 7 | Denard Robinson | 9/24/2011 | Michigan | San Diego State | 200 |
| 8 | Kellen Lewis | 9/15/2007 | Indiana | Akron | 199 |
| 9 | Denard Robinson | 9/17/2011 | Michigan | Eastern Michigan | 198 |
| 10 | Denard Robinson | 9/4/2010 | Michigan | Connecticut | 197 |
External links
- Robinson at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Robinson at CBS SportsCBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
- Robinson at NCAA.org
- Robinson at University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
- Robinson high school track profile
- 2010 highlights
- Robinson archive at Michigan DailyMichigan DailyThe Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other...
- Robinson archive at AnnArbor.comAnnArbor.comAnnArbor.com is an online newspaper that covers local news of Ann Arbor, Michigan and the surrounding Washtenaw County, Michigan.- Overview :...