Eugene Robinson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eugene Robinson | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 28, 1963 (age 43) |
| Place of birth |  Hartford, Connecticut |
| Position(s) | Free safety |
| College | Colgate |
| Pro Bowls | 3 |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1985-1995 1996-1997 1998-1999 2000 |
Seattle Seahawks Green Bay Packers Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers |
Eugene Keefe Robinson (born May 28, 1963 in Hartford, Connecticut) is a former professional American football player who played free safety for the Seattle Seahawks from 1985-95, the Green Bay Packers (1996-1997), Atlanta Falcons (1998-1999), and Carolina Panthers in 2000.
After a college career at Colgate University, Robinson spent his first 11 NFL seasons with the Seahawks, earning 2 trips to the Pro Bowl with them in 1992 and 1993. After the 1995 season, Robinson signed with the Packers and was a key player on the team, recording 55 tackles and leading Green Bay with 8 interceptions. The Packers went on to win Super Bowl XXXI 35-21, over the New England Patriots, earning Robinson his first ever championship ring. Robinson and the Packers went to the Super Bowl again after the 1997 season, and although they lost Super Bowl XXXII, 31-24, to the Denver Broncos, Robinson put up a good performance in it. With his team trailing 24-17 in the third quarter, Robinson intercepted a pass from Broncos quarterback John Elway in the end zone, preventing Denver from building a big lead and setting up a touchdown on Green Bay's ensuing drive to tie the game. He also recorded a key interception from Steve Young that setup a touchdown in the Packers 23-10 win over the San Fransisco 49ers in the NFC title game a week earlier.
After the 1997 season, Robinson joined the Falcons and made it back to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, and once again faced the Broncos in the game. During the season, Robinson recorded 46 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 interceptions, and 1 touchdown return, earning his 3rd career pro bowl selection. On the morning before the Super Bowl, he was awarded the Bart Starr Award from the Christian group Athletes in Action for his "high moral character". However, that very night he was arrested for offering a female undercover police officer posing as a prostitute $40 for oral sex. The next day in Super Bowl XXXIII, Robinson blew his coverage on Broncos receiver Rod Smith, allowing Smith to get behind him, catch a pass from Elway, and take it 80 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Broncos a 17-3 lead over the Falcons. Later, in the fourth quarter, he missed a tackle on Denver running back Terrell Davis that enabled Davis to break off a long run inside the Atlanta 10 yard line. Atlanta ended up losing the game 34-19, and Robinson was widely denounced by the press and fans for the previous night's incident. He spent one more year with the Falcons before joining the Panthers, and then retired following the 2000 season.
In his 16 NFL seasons, Robinson recorded 57 interceptions, 762 return yards, 22 fumble recoveries, 71 return yards, and 2 touchdowns (1 fumble return, 1 interception return). He is now eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his 57 interceptions is exceeded by 11 players, 4 of which are in the Hall of Fame.
He currently serves as a radio analyst for the Panthers Radio Network, providing color commentary on every Panthers game, and as a varsity football coach at Charlotte Christian School in Charlotte, NC.
