Photo by: Katie MacCrory
Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood
August 14, 2018 05:01 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The middle of Milan Puskar Stadium is now Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood. Mr. Robinson, of course, is West Virginia University sophomore free safety Kenny Robinson, who enjoyed an outstanding freshman season in 2017.
The Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, resident played in all 13 games last year, starting eight. He made his first career start at cornerback against Delaware State but eventually switched to free safety later in the season when injuries required him to move.
He made his first career interception against Oklahoma State, returning Mason Rudolph's errant pass 39 yards for a touchdown.
His late-game heroics helped West Virginia to important Big 12 victories over Iowa State and Kansas State, his 37-yard interception return from the end zone in the fourth quarter helping put away the Wildcats.
Robinson's length-of-the-field interception against Texas covering 94 yards for a touchdown was the fourth longest in school history, and his eight tackles in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Utah were a career high.
In all, he made 46 tackles, three interceptions and three pass-breakups, which were good enough to earn All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention honors by the coaches.
Therefore, his freshman season at WVU was a smashing success in every respect following an outstanding prep career at tiny Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh.
Robinson, despite earning class 1A all-state honors and being named the WPIAL Class 1A Defensive Player of the Year, sort of flew under the radar compared to recent WVU Steel City signees Dravon Askew-Henry and Kwantel Raines because he played at such a small school.
One recruiting service had him listed as an outside linebacker and another as an athlete. He ran for 1,250 yards and passed for 2,150 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense, and was the team's top playmaker on defense.
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said Robinson was the best athlete the Mountaineers had in camp prior to his senior year, and it was immediately clear to him that Robinson could play Big 12 football.
Other local programs were slow to come on board and were reluctant to stick with him when he decided to look around a little bit.
Not West Virginia. The Mountaineers were with him all the way.
"We knew when we recruited him (he was a player)," Gibson said last Saturday. "Now whether he was going to be a wideout, a linebacker, a corner or a safety, I don't know, but we knew he was going to be able to do something for us."
Safeties coach Matt Caponi, who recruits Western Pennsylvania and coaches the Mountaineer safeties, agrees.
"I knew he was athletic from being able to recruit him for a year and a half after I got here," Caponi said. "I remember his senior year watching his highlight video and they just had 15 guys standing on the sideline. They weren't a very big program, and he kind of got to do it all, so you kind of got a feel for the type of football player he was."
Pitt pursued Robinson, but he didn't feel comfortable with the way that process transpired.
"I had a Pitt offer for a while and they wanted me to commit, and I wanted to take my time and they didn't like that," Robinson recalled. "When they tried to force me to commit, I called Coach Gibby and I told him, 'Yeah, this is going to be the place for me. Y'all have been sticking by me since the beginning.'"
Robinson said West Virginia was actually one of the schools he followed while growing up in Wilkinsburg.
"It was West Virginia, Ohio State and Michigan," he said. "Those were my top three schools I always loved, so when I got the West Virginia offer it was like 'I've got to take it because this was the place for me.'"
The only question after that was on which side of the ball would he play?
"The offensive coaches were trying to fight for him to play wideout, but we weren't giving him up," Caponi chuckled.
It became clear early in preseason camp last year that Robinson was too good to redshirt and he traveled and dressed for the opener against Virginia Tech.
Two games later, he was in the starting lineup at corner.
"As the season went on things started to develop," Robinson said. "Coach needed me, and I had to step up and play a role that wasn't really expected of me. I had to keep my head down, work through it and make the best of it."
Now, Caponi has a lengthy list of things he'd like to see Robinson improve upon before this year's opener against Tennessee.
"We know once the light comes on that kid can play," Caponi said. "It's more about being disciplined and more consistent in his play throughout the week.
"From a coaching standpoint, you want to see it every day," Caponi added. "It's Friday on game week and he may not have had the best three days of practice and as a coach you are sitting there thinking, 'Is he ready? Is he prepared?'"
Gibson said the thing he would like to see Robinson improve upon the most is his open-field tackling.
"That's where he got himself into a couple of issues a year ago, and he's working hard and he's conscientious of what he needs to do to get better at it," Gibson said.
Robinson has found a home at free safety playing next to a pair of seniors in Askew-Henry and Toyous Avery. Robinson said he likes standing in the middle of the field because everything is in front of him.
"You can see everything develop in front of you and you can control more of the defense so you have to be more vocal," Robinson remarked. "Safety is more responsibility than corner, but to me I like it because I can see everything on the field. I'm not just on one side and they can throw it away from me. I'm always part of the play no matter what."
Robinson proved last year as a freshman he has a knack for finding the football. That's a trait Gibson admits is rare for such a young player to possess.
"Kenny Robinson has a short memory," Gibson declared. "He has no fear, and we have a few guys like that on our football team. The other one everyone knows is (linebacker) David Long. But Kenny will take a chance because he sees something and will react to something and can make that play."
Gibson hopes there are many more plays coming this fall from Mr. Robinson in his neighborhood.
Tuesday Sound
The Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, resident played in all 13 games last year, starting eight. He made his first career start at cornerback against Delaware State but eventually switched to free safety later in the season when injuries required him to move.
He made his first career interception against Oklahoma State, returning Mason Rudolph's errant pass 39 yards for a touchdown.
His late-game heroics helped West Virginia to important Big 12 victories over Iowa State and Kansas State, his 37-yard interception return from the end zone in the fourth quarter helping put away the Wildcats.
Robinson's length-of-the-field interception against Texas covering 94 yards for a touchdown was the fourth longest in school history, and his eight tackles in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Utah were a career high.
In all, he made 46 tackles, three interceptions and three pass-breakups, which were good enough to earn All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention honors by the coaches.
Therefore, his freshman season at WVU was a smashing success in every respect following an outstanding prep career at tiny Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh.
Robinson, despite earning class 1A all-state honors and being named the WPIAL Class 1A Defensive Player of the Year, sort of flew under the radar compared to recent WVU Steel City signees Dravon Askew-Henry and Kwantel Raines because he played at such a small school.
One recruiting service had him listed as an outside linebacker and another as an athlete. He ran for 1,250 yards and passed for 2,150 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense, and was the team's top playmaker on defense.
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said Robinson was the best athlete the Mountaineers had in camp prior to his senior year, and it was immediately clear to him that Robinson could play Big 12 football.
Other local programs were slow to come on board and were reluctant to stick with him when he decided to look around a little bit.
Not West Virginia. The Mountaineers were with him all the way.
"We knew when we recruited him (he was a player)," Gibson said last Saturday. "Now whether he was going to be a wideout, a linebacker, a corner or a safety, I don't know, but we knew he was going to be able to do something for us."
Safeties coach Matt Caponi, who recruits Western Pennsylvania and coaches the Mountaineer safeties, agrees.
"I knew he was athletic from being able to recruit him for a year and a half after I got here," Caponi said. "I remember his senior year watching his highlight video and they just had 15 guys standing on the sideline. They weren't a very big program, and he kind of got to do it all, so you kind of got a feel for the type of football player he was."
Pitt pursued Robinson, but he didn't feel comfortable with the way that process transpired.
"I had a Pitt offer for a while and they wanted me to commit, and I wanted to take my time and they didn't like that," Robinson recalled. "When they tried to force me to commit, I called Coach Gibby and I told him, 'Yeah, this is going to be the place for me. Y'all have been sticking by me since the beginning.'"
Robinson said West Virginia was actually one of the schools he followed while growing up in Wilkinsburg.
"It was West Virginia, Ohio State and Michigan," he said. "Those were my top three schools I always loved, so when I got the West Virginia offer it was like 'I've got to take it because this was the place for me.'"
The only question after that was on which side of the ball would he play?
"The offensive coaches were trying to fight for him to play wideout, but we weren't giving him up," Caponi chuckled.
It became clear early in preseason camp last year that Robinson was too good to redshirt and he traveled and dressed for the opener against Virginia Tech.
Two games later, he was in the starting lineup at corner.
"As the season went on things started to develop," Robinson said. "Coach needed me, and I had to step up and play a role that wasn't really expected of me. I had to keep my head down, work through it and make the best of it."
Now, Caponi has a lengthy list of things he'd like to see Robinson improve upon before this year's opener against Tennessee.
"We know once the light comes on that kid can play," Caponi said. "It's more about being disciplined and more consistent in his play throughout the week.
"From a coaching standpoint, you want to see it every day," Caponi added. "It's Friday on game week and he may not have had the best three days of practice and as a coach you are sitting there thinking, 'Is he ready? Is he prepared?'"
Gibson said the thing he would like to see Robinson improve upon the most is his open-field tackling.
"That's where he got himself into a couple of issues a year ago, and he's working hard and he's conscientious of what he needs to do to get better at it," Gibson said.
Robinson has found a home at free safety playing next to a pair of seniors in Askew-Henry and Toyous Avery. Robinson said he likes standing in the middle of the field because everything is in front of him.
"You can see everything develop in front of you and you can control more of the defense so you have to be more vocal," Robinson remarked. "Safety is more responsibility than corner, but to me I like it because I can see everything on the field. I'm not just on one side and they can throw it away from me. I'm always part of the play no matter what."
Robinson proved last year as a freshman he has a knack for finding the football. That's a trait Gibson admits is rare for such a young player to possess.
"Kenny Robinson has a short memory," Gibson declared. "He has no fear, and we have a few guys like that on our football team. The other one everyone knows is (linebacker) David Long. But Kenny will take a chance because he sees something and will react to something and can make that play."
Gibson hopes there are many more plays coming this fall from Mr. Robinson in his neighborhood.
Tuesday Sound
Players Mentioned
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Reid Carrico | Nov. 29
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Rich Rodriguez | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
