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Michael Robinson (American football)
Encyclopedia
Burton Michael Robinson (born February 6, 1983) is an American football
running back
for the Seattle Seahawks
of the National Football League
. He was drafted in the 4th round (100th overall) by the 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Penn State
.
He played quarterback
and wide receiver
in college at Penn State, leading the team to a Big Ten Conference
title in 2005 and winning the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2005. He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
as the Big Ten's MVP.
, where he was superb as a four-year starting quarterback
. He was a two-time Associated Press
first team All-State selection and a three-time member of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
All-Metro team, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Offensive Player of the Year and the district and regional Player of the Year.
Robinson led his team to four consecutive regional titles and two state runner-up finishes. He rushed for 3,046 yards on 371 carries, an impressive 8.2 average, and 37 touchdowns, while passing for 2,409 yards in his career.
As a senior, he accounted for a huge portion of the team's total offense, passing for 1,056 yards and rushing for 1,281 and scored 15 touchdowns. He was two-year team captain, who totaled 211 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 13 sacks as a safety. He also participated in the sprints for the track and field squad.
In 2002, Robinson shifted around the offensive set from quarterback to running back, slot back and split end to utilize his talents. He showed great running ability and helped spark the diversified Penn State offense. He started at tailback against Michigan
and at slot back against Auburn
in the Capital One Bowl
. Robinson was Penn State's second leading rusher in 2002 with 263 yards and six touchdowns on 50 carries. He caught nine passes for 44 yards.
In 2003 with the Nittany Lions, Robinson started eight games—three at quarterback and five at tailback. He completed 62-of-138 passes for 892 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions and finished second on the team with 396 yards and three scores on 107 carries.
In 2004, Robinson again started eight games. He was second on the team with 33 receptions for 485 yards (14.7 avg) and three touchdowns. He completed 14-of-39 passes for 170 yards, a touchdown and five interceptions. He was third on the squad with 172 yards on 49 carries.
In 2005, Robinson compiled the best numbers of his college career. He was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten choice. He was named to the Maxwell Award
watch list and was a semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award
, given to the nation’s top passer. He completed 162 of 311 passes (52.1%) for 2,350 yards, seventeen touchdowns and ten interceptions. His 2,350 passing yards at the time ranked fifth on the school season-record list, topped only by Zack Mills
(2,417 in 2002), Tony Sacca
(2,488 in 1991), Anthony Morelli
(2,651 in 2007
) and Kerry Collins
(2,679 in 1994). He was second on the team with 163 carries for 806 yards (4.9 avg) and eleven touchdowns, becoming the first player in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 500 yards in the same season. 806 yards set a school season-record for quarterbacks and became the first quarterback in Penn State history to run for at least ten touchdowns in a season. His 28 touchdowns (17 passing, 11 rushing) was one shy of the school season-record of 29 (26 rushing, 3 catching) by Lydell Mitchell
in 1971. Robinson also became the first Nittany Lion to throw three touchdown passes in three separate games during the same season since Todd Blackledge
in 1982.
Robinson captained the 2005 team that was one of Penn State's most competitive teams in years, winning the Big Ten championship and the Orange Bowl. He finished 5th in Heisman voting.
by the San Francisco 49ers
. The 49ers converted him into a running back
. 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
was immediately impressed with Robinson's attitude and toughness during training camp. After a solid preseason, Robinson rose up to the number two running back position behind Frank Gore
on the depth chart. After Robinson scored his first and second career touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles
in week 3, Mike Nolan indicated that he intended to use Robinson more often in goal line situations. Despite Nolan's statement, Robinson's playing time actually would decrease over the course of the season, and he did not score another touchdown. He finished the year with 38 carries for 116 yards, 9 receptions for 47 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
On February 28, 2008 the 49ers gave Robinson a 3-year contract extension.
Midway through the 2008 season
, Robinson took over as the 49er's starting fullback
position after teammate Zak Keasey
suffered a season ending tear in his biceps.
at the urging of first-year assistant special teams coach and former 49ers player, Jeff Ulbrich
, who had been Robinson’s teammate for the previous four seasons.
in advertising
/public relations
from Penn State University in three years, graduating in December 2004, and earned a second B.A.
in journalism
in December 2005. He was named Academic All-Big Ten
three times. He gained on-camera reporting experience covering Penn State basketball
games and on CSTV's "Penn State Primetime."
During his rookie season in San Francisco, Robinson started his own sports talk show, "The Rookie Report," which later evolved into "The Robinson Report". During the 2011 NFL lockout, Mike decided to bring back the show, this time as "The Real Robinson Report", taking his show beyond just the locker room. "The Real Robinson Report" features professional athletes and sports fans alike. Notable guests include Donovan McNabb
, Darrelle Revis
, Amar'e Stoudemire, Nikolai Khabibulin, and Tim Hightower. The show's slogan is "By Athletes For The Fans".
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...
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...
for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted in the 4th round (100th overall) by the 49ers in the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
He played 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...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
in college at Penn State, leading the team to a 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...
title in 2005 and winning the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2005. He also won 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...
as the Big Ten's MVP.
Early years
Robinson attended Varina High SchoolVarina High School
Varina High School is located in eastern Henrico County, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. The current principal of the school is Tracie Omohoundro.-Programs:...
, where he was superb as a four-year starting 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...
. He was a two-time 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...
first team All-State selection and a three-time member of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
All-Metro team, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
Offensive Player of the Year and the district and regional Player of the Year.
Robinson led his team to four consecutive regional titles and two state runner-up finishes. He rushed for 3,046 yards on 371 carries, an impressive 8.2 average, and 37 touchdowns, while passing for 2,409 yards in his career.
As a senior, he accounted for a huge portion of the team's total offense, passing for 1,056 yards and rushing for 1,281 and scored 15 touchdowns. He was two-year team captain, who totaled 211 career tackles, 18 interceptions and 13 sacks as a safety. He also participated in the sprints for the track and field squad.
College career
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...
and at slot back against Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. Robinson was Penn State's second leading rusher in 2002 with 263 yards and six touchdowns on 50 carries. He caught nine passes for 44 yards.
In 2003 with the Nittany Lions, Robinson started eight games—three at quarterback and five at tailback. He completed 62-of-138 passes for 892 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions and finished second on the team with 396 yards and three scores on 107 carries.
In 2004, Robinson again started eight games. He was second on the team with 33 receptions for 485 yards (14.7 avg) and three touchdowns. He completed 14-of-39 passes for 170 yards, a touchdown and five interceptions. He was third on the squad with 172 yards on 49 carries.
In 2005, Robinson compiled the best numbers of his college career. He was named Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches and was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten choice. He was named to the 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...
watch list and was a semi-finalist for 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...
, given to the nation’s top passer. He completed 162 of 311 passes (52.1%) for 2,350 yards, seventeen touchdowns and ten interceptions. His 2,350 passing yards at the time ranked fifth on the school season-record list, topped only by Zack Mills
Zack Mills
Zachary Eric Mills is a former American football quarterback. He was an All-Big Ten selection and four-year starter at Penn State University...
(2,417 in 2002), Tony Sacca
Tony Sacca
Anthony John Sacca is a former quarterback who played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 1988–91 and who played briefly in the NFL for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1992....
(2,488 in 1991), Anthony Morelli
Anthony Morelli
Anthony Michael Morelli is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
(2,651 in 2007
2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
) and Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
(2,679 in 1994). He was second on the team with 163 carries for 806 yards (4.9 avg) and eleven touchdowns, becoming the first player in school history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 500 yards in the same season. 806 yards set a school season-record for quarterbacks and became the first quarterback in Penn State history to run for at least ten touchdowns in a season. His 28 touchdowns (17 passing, 11 rushing) was one shy of the school season-record of 29 (26 rushing, 3 catching) by Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Mitchell
Lydell Douglas Mitchell , is a former professional American football player. He played running back in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Rams spanning 1972-1980....
in 1971. Robinson also became the first Nittany Lion to throw three touchdown passes in three separate games during the same season since Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge
Todd Alan Blackledge was an American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship; and, as a pro, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
in 1982.
Robinson captained the 2005 team that was one of Penn State's most competitive teams in years, winning the Big Ten championship and the Orange Bowl. He finished 5th in Heisman voting.
San Francisco 49ers
Robinson was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. The 49ers converted him into 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...
. 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan is an American football coach and the current defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins...
was immediately impressed with Robinson's attitude and toughness during training camp. After a solid preseason, Robinson rose up to the number two running back position behind Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
on the depth chart. After Robinson scored his first and second career touchdown against 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...
in week 3, Mike Nolan indicated that he intended to use Robinson more often in goal line situations. Despite Nolan's statement, Robinson's playing time actually would decrease over the course of the season, and he did not score another touchdown. He finished the year with 38 carries for 116 yards, 9 receptions for 47 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
On February 28, 2008 the 49ers gave Robinson a 3-year contract extension.
Midway through the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, Robinson took over as the 49er's starting fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
position after teammate Zak Keasey
Zak Keasey
Zak Keasey is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
suffered a season ending tear in his biceps.
Seattle Seahawks
Robinson was released by San Francisco on September 3, 2010 at the end of the 2010 preseason. He was signed September 6, 2010, by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
at the urging of first-year assistant special teams coach and former 49ers player, Jeff Ulbrich
Jeff Ulbrich
Jeff Ulbrich is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2000 to 2009. He was drafted by the 49ers in the 3rd round in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Hawaii...
, who had been Robinson’s teammate for the previous four seasons.
Personal
Robinson earned a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
/public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
from Penn State University in three years, graduating in December 2004, and earned a second B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in December 2005. He was named Academic All-Big Ten
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...
three times. He gained on-camera reporting experience covering Penn State basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games and on CSTV's "Penn State Primetime."
During his rookie season in San Francisco, Robinson started his own sports talk show, "The Rookie Report," which later evolved into "The Robinson Report". During the 2011 NFL lockout, Mike decided to bring back the show, this time as "The Real Robinson Report", taking his show beyond just the locker room. "The Real Robinson Report" features professional athletes and sports fans alike. Notable guests include Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, Darrelle Revis
Darrelle Revis
Though Revis was not the first defensive back drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft , he was the first cornerback taken that year...
, Amar'e Stoudemire, Nikolai Khabibulin, and Tim Hightower. The show's slogan is "By Athletes For The Fans".