Robinson commits to Nicholls State University

Nicholls football coach Tim Rebowe has tirelessly recruited the Bayou Region since taking over the Colonels program in November 2014.

The fruits of those labors continue to pay off in a big, big way.

This week, Nicholls football landed a huge commitment, scoring a verbal pledge from one of the area’s top seniors, Central Lafourche wide receiver David Robinson.

Robinson (6-foot, 3-inches, 182 pounds, 4.58 40-yard dash) said he chose the Colonels over offers and interest from several other programs around the Southeast.

The tall, lanky receiver follows in the footsteps of his both his mother and father, who both played for the Colonels during their careers. His father, David Sr., was a halfback for the football team.

“Being from around here and seeing the program there turnaround like it has, shows me that something is going in the right direction over there,” Robinson said. “I can’t really explain it. But for me, it’s just a gut feeling. When I go on campus, I just get the feeling like this where I need to be.”

“It’s always nice to have a kid who is a better kid than he is a player,” Central Lafourche football coach Keith Menard said. “David is that. … I’m so happy for David. He made a choice that he and his family feels good about. I just wanted him to find the school that fit him and that’s going to make him better down the road. I just really happy for Coach Rebowe and his staff at Nicholls. I’m really happy to see them get the local guys and they’re really building a great product there.”

In Robinson, the Colonels are getting arguably the most gifted playmaker in the area in the Class of 2018.

Robinson burst onto the scene last season for the Trojans, catching 54 passes for 832 yards with nine touchdowns for a Trojans offense that thrived, scoring 20 or more points in 9 out of 10 games.

Menard said the future Colonel excels because of his size, adding that he has a college-level body. The coach added that because of Robinson’s big body, he’s capable to work through press coverage at the line of scrimmage.

Menard added that in the red-zone, Robinson is even more valuable because he’s an elite-level jumper. In addition to his football prowess, Robinson is also a standout for the Trojans’ basketball team, often playing above the rim when fighting in the paint.

“He’s valuable everywhere, but he’s really hard to stop in scoring situations,” Menard said. “He’s a big target and he uses his body well. He can go up and get it in traffic. He has great hands and he always finds his way to the football before the defender does.”

Robinson said he wanted to make his commitment early because he wanted to be able to focus all of his attention on his senior season – one which he hopes takes the Trojans to a new level.

Last year was an awkward season for the Trojans – one of the most puzzling tales for any team in the Houma-Thibodaux area.

The Trojans started hot, winning four-straight games – including their first victory over rival South Lafourche in almost a decade.

But in district play, Central Lafourche couldn’t generate the same magic, ending the season with six-straight losses to finish 4-6 – just outside of playoff contention.

Menard said Robinson will play a huge role for the Trojans as a senior and will be a Jack of all trades.

“Of course, David will be at receiver for us and we will be relying on him to continue making plays,” Menard said. “But I think the most important thing for us is that our playmakers need to have the football. We’re going to ask David to do a little bit of everything for us. He’s going to catch the football. He’s going to play a little quarterback. We might hand it to him in some sweeps or different actions. We know that we want the football in his hands. How we get from Point A to Point B is going to vary.”

Robinson said he’s OK with the responsibility and accepts the challenge.

He said the way his junior season ended was painful and he doesn’t want to ever experience that feeling again.

This time around, Robinson said he plans to emerge as a go-to-guy for Central Lafourche – both on the field and also in the locker room.

“My goals for my senior year are to get better and to show leadership for our guys,” Robinson said. “I want to pave the way for the younger guys by setting an example. We want to win.”

From there, he said he’d be able to head to Thibodaux on a high note.

“To know that I’m going to be a college athlete feels great,” Robinson said. “It truly is a blessing that not everyone gets. For me, it’s a dream come true.”

David RobinsonCOURTESY

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