Chat with Michael Robinson, Seahawks fullback

Published on August 7, 2011 by Tacoma News Tribune (Feed)     

Seattle’s Michael Robinson returns for his second season as starting fullback for the Seahawks. And the 28-year-old created a buzz throughout the NFL community with his pet project, The Real Robinson Report – a sports talk show that can be found on YouTube.

Robinson graduated with a degree in public relations and sports journalism from Penn State, so he had a desire to figure out what he’ll be doing once his football career comes to a close.

“Definitely with the lockout, it gives you a chance to think about what you would do if football wasn’t around,” Robinson said. “So I wanted to start my own show. I actually started The Rookie Report, when I was a rookie in San Francisco. Then it was The Robinson Report, and when I came here I didn’t bring it with me. And when I had all this free time in the offseason, I said to myself, ‘Why not now? Why not cover this lockout and see what guys are doing during the lockout?’ And it started just blowing up. People just started wanting to be on the show.”

Positive reinforcement

Guests so far on The Real Robinson Report include Minnesota Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb, Arizona running back Beanie Wells, New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire and Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. Robinson said his show takes a positive spin on professional sports.

“No disrespect, but a lot of mainstream media looks for the controversy,” Robinson said. “They are looking to see what athletes are doing wrong. They’re looking for a story. And I always ask the guys, ‘What don’t you want to talk about? We don’t even have to go there.’ And we just talk. They just talk to me and open up.

“And I want to hear more about what their foundation is doing. I want to hear more about what they’re doing in the community. I want to hear more about that kind of stuff, because I feel like we’re always portrayed in a negative light. It’s never big news when a big-time athlete has a camp benefiting the youth. It’s never a big story. That’s not going to get a whole lot of clicks.”

Bulking up, toughening up

Robinson put on 17 pounds during the offseason, checking into training camp at 240 pounds at the request of coach Pete Carroll. So he’s ready for the physical and mental grind that offensive line coach Tom Cable’s version of the zone blocking scheme will demand.

“We’re developing that philosophy of mental toughness,” he said. “Obviously we’re bigger up front, and that makes a difference. I think having Big Rob (Robert Gallery) and bringing that experience, and more toughness, that helps. And you got the animal behind us in Marshawn Lynch, and just let him go. I think the philosophy of the zone scheme really gives him a chance to put his foot in the ground and go where he wants to go.”

A sense of urgency

The Seahawks have little time to waste in order to get ready, due to the compressed time schedule because of the lockout. And because of that, Robinson said that he and his teammates are practicing with a sense of urgency.

“Absolutely, and I think that’s shared among all 32 teams,” he said. “The time is now. We don’t have time out here to waste any reps. It has to be now. And we’re professionals. That’s what we’re paid to do, so we’ve got to do it.”

Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Donovan McNabb, Edmonton Oilers, Football Career, Mainstream Media, Michael Robinson, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Vikings Quarterback, Nikolai Khabibulin, Pet Project, Positive Reinforcement, Professional Sports, Quarterback Donovan, Rookie Report, Sports Journalism, Sports Talk Show, Starting Fullback, Time Athlete, Wells New York, Youtube