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May 9, 2014Saints enjoy 6-player class
May 13, 2014
Thibodaux native Greg Robinson didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called during the 2014 NFL Draft. He waited just one pick and a little more than 17 minutes to be exact.
The massive 6-foot, 5-inch, 315-pound local left tackle made history last Thursday night when the St. Louis Rams made Robinson the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the seven-round draft.
Robinson’s selection marks local history, as he is now easily the highest drafted local player in NFL history. Robinson is also the highest-drafted Louisiana-born offensive lineman in NFL history.
With so many accolades under his belt, Robinson will have lots of pressure to perform at a high level throughout the entirety of his NFL career. But both he and his new coach Jeff Fisher think that the young man known around these parts as “Big Greg” can handle the hype and perform at an elite level.
“Oh yeah, I feel real good,” Robinson told NFL Network, minutes after his selection. “It’s just a blessing to be in this position, and I just want to thank everybody that has even given me an opportunity.”
“We’re a lot better now,” Fisher added when talking to a pool of reporters after the completion of Thursday’s first round. “We certainly all know what Greg is capable of doing. He’s an absolutely outstanding young man, and that workout last week was really, really impressive, so we’ll plug him in where he’s got the best chance to be successful right now.”
For Robinson, his selection to the NFL marks the fitting completion of a long, tough two-decade journey that has been filled with both good times and bad.
On the field, Robinson was a bit of a late bloomer at Thibodaux High School – a player that never fully understood his full strength and potential until his junior and senior seasons.
The new NFL draft pick reminisced about his early playing days, remembering that he wasn’t always a prized prospect.
“I used to get pushed around all the time – all day,” Robinson told the Tri-Parish Times during his senior season. “I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t physical. I didn’t know how strong I actually was until I learned to use it to my advantage.”
That’s exactly what Robinson did in his final two prep seasons, dominating the competition to become one of the most highly recruited local prospects to ever come out of Thibodaux High – a consensus All-American offensive tackle.
For his efforts, Robinson signed with Auburn, choosing the SEC power over a laundry list of top programs in the country, including LSU (his runner-up choice).
In college, Robinson again had to adjust his game. He redshirted as a true freshman to gain a little extra time learning Auburn’s offense, while shaping his body for the rigors of college football.
Once on the field, Robinson was a two-year starter for Auburn, punishing defenders as a left tackle in the Tigers’ high-tempo spread offense. In the 2013 season, Robinson was among the SEC leaders in pancake blocks. His efforts were a large reason why Auburn was able to win the SEC Championship and reach the BCS National Championship Game.
“He’s a terrific young man,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said last season. “He’s come a long way, and he’s an outstanding football player. He’s a good teammate and a fast learner, and we’re more than pleased with everything he does for us.”
Robinson tells fans on his Twitter account repeatedly that he loves Auburn and has no regrets about making the decision to leave Louisiana out of high school.
But he left the program with two years of eligibility remaining for business reasons.
Robinson is the son of Greg Blackledge and Rhonda Robinson. Greg’s father died in 2012 at the age of 54. But before he passed away, he pulled his son aside and told him that it was now his job to provide for his mother and to take care of his family.
It was because of that conversation that Greg said he opted to make the leap and turn pro this past winter – a decision that was rewarded this week, as Robinson is now one contract signature away from millions of dollars and instant fame.
“It’s just such a blessing,” Robinson said. “I didn’t come from a lot of money or anything like that, so I really just am so happy to know that I’ll be able to help make things better for a lot of special people who are close to me.”
But away from the sentiments, Robinson said he’s excited to play some football.
Fisher said his new offensive linemen projects to be the team’s starting left tackle for a decade-plus – high expectations that come with being a Top 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
But Fisher admitted that Robinson could start his NFL career on the inside of the line, possibly as a left guard. That decision will be based on whether Robinson shows the ability to pass block at a high level during training camp.
Robinson made his NFL money as a run-blocking specialist at Auburn – a team that didn’t throw the football a lot of times per game. But the Rams will want to chuck the ball through the air more than Robinson ever experienced in college.
Fisher said that he believes Robinson will be ready to make the adjustment early enough to be a solid contributor to the team as a rookie – an instant starter in St. Louis’ offense.
The new local pro agrees, adding that he will do whatever is needed to make his team better.
He may have been pushed around as a kid, but that hasn’t happened to Big Greg in a very, very long time.
These days, he’s the one doing the pushing. And now, he’s in a position to be paid handsomely to do it.
“It’s just a dream come true, man,” Robinson said. “I’m so happy and honored to be a Ram.”
Thibodaux native and Auburn tackle Greg Robinson, right, poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the St. Louis Rams as the second pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
