Last year this time Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., was a rookie participating in his first training camp. Robinson was reportedly turning heads and showing all the skills he did at Alabama that made him a third-round pick. Unfortunately for Robinson, his rookie year took a detour after he was shot in an attempted carjacking last August.
As the Commanders prepare for their first season under new ownership (Josh Harris Group), Robinson, their star tailback says he’s as healthy as he’s been since that incident. A very elated and grateful Robinson told reporters this as training got underway on Thursday.
“I’m very grateful,” he said. “It’s not a day that I wake up and I’m not thankful and appreciative for everybody that was in my corner from the time everything happened to this point. I make sure I let everybody know every chance I get how much I appreciate them and how much I appreciate being here.”
Robinson Made A Pretty Miraculous Recovery
Amazingly, Robinson only missed the four games of the season, returning in Week 5, he provided a real spark for an otherwise dormant Commanders offense. The burly-but-nimble 225 pound power back rushed for nearly 800 yards as the team’s feature back from the moment he got healthy. He even scored the game-winning touchdown in just his second game back, an ugly 12-7 win over the lowly Bears.
But, even then Robinson says he still wasn’t quite himself, and with good reason.
As camp convened this year, he looks and sounds like he’s fully healed from that traumatic experience.
“It’s a night and day” difference, Robinson declared, and he says he’s feeling “like myself more and more every day.”
Robinson said he had a lingering knee injury caused by the gunshot wound that he played through despite the pain. And just his overall body was never fully healthy after that incident.
Robinson Excited To Contribute Fully In 2023
With the offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, a former running back himself, now calling plays, the expectancy around the nation’s capital is there will be a lot of running the ball. And, with second-year QB Sam Howell expected to get the nod under center, the team will look to protect their young signal-caller.
That means Robinson will eat in both the running and passing games. While his style is of the physical nature, he showed at Alabama and in a very small sample size last season that he also catch catch the football out of the backfield.
Commanders running backs coach Randy Jordan told reporters on Friday this about his bell cow back, Robinson:
“He’s everything what I thought he would be and probably more.”