Kenny Robinson figured his NFL dreams were on hold. He was stressed and upset, his career at West Virginia over after two years due to an academic violation of the school’s student code of conduct that would have forced him to sit out a year upon transferring.
The XFL, a new spring professional football league, changed that trajectory. Now, after playing in the league that has since filed for bankruptcy, the Wilkinsburg, Pa., native is on the cusp of his NFL dream, expected to be selected on the draft’s third day.
“They gave me a chance,” the safety prospect said in a phone interview.
Lance Zierlein, a draft analyst with NFL.com, believes Robinson has an advantage over other prospects who didn’t get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, virtually all pro days were canceled and teams were unable to bring in players for visits. But the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Robinson has recent film for scouts to watch — he notched 21 tackles and two interceptions in just five games with the St. Louis BattleHawks before the XFL season was canceled due to coronavirus — in addition to his two seasons at West Virginia.
“It does solidify him over the guys who were non-combine guys,” Zierlein said.
How much remains to be determined. Zierlein praised the 21-year-old defensive back as a hard-hitting ballhawk with a long frame. He expects him to be drafted in the fifth or sixth round, but some teams value him even higher. Safety, Zierlein cautioned, is a hard position to gauge because it can depend on the type of system an organization runs.
“It will be interesting to see how the league in general views him coming up in the draft,” Zierlein said.
Robinson, who said he has spoken to 10 teams, believes he shouldn’t have to wait past the first night of the draft.
“I’m the most prepared and pro-ready safety in this draft,” he said.
Joining the XFL wasn’t an easy decision for Robinson and his family. Staying in school, his ill mother Danielle Hudson’s preference, remained an option. He was considering Marshall and Florida. But the more Robinson and his father, Kenny Robinson Sr., discussed it after meeting with reps for the XFL, which promised to pay for his education as part of his contract, the more it seemed like the only decision to make. Robinson felt an obligation to his family to help out financially, with Hudson in and out of the hospital battling colon cancer following two strokes.
“That was the biggest thing, because I felt like I owed them that, just by letting everybody down,” said Robinson, who was accepted in the NFL draft pool in January.
Now, everything seems to be working out for Robinson and his family. His mother is out of the hospital, cancer-free. Her health is improving. He’s only a week away from potentially hearing his name called, realizing a goal he has had since football became a part of his life at age 4. The elder Robinson coached youth football, so his son was always around the game.
“I woke him up on his fourth birthday,” Robinson Sr. recalled. “I said, ‘Happy birthday.’ His first words were, ‘I can play football now?’ ”
His father thought his son would make a good running back, but Robinson preferred defense. He liked to hit people a lot more than getting hit. He developed into a three-star recruit and picked West Virginia. As a sophomore he was an All-Big 12 first-team selection and had four interceptions and 77 tackles, but then came the academic problem — described as academic dishonesty, and led to his expulsion — that threatened to shatter his dreams.
“I made a mistake and I owned up to that and I’ve learned from it,” he said.
Robinson believes the experience in the XFL will only help once he gets to the NFL, mentally as well as physically. He was on his own, expected to act and prepare like a professional. Time management became very important. With the BattleHawks, he worked under longtime NFL position coach and former first-round pick Tim Lewis and faced former NFL players in practices and games.
“I will learn things quicker than other guys,” he said. “Being in an NFL system, I’ve seen a lot of coverages that will be taught to me in the NFL.”
Had the XFL remained operational and had Robinson been drafted, other players might have followed in his footsteps. The ability to make money, practice with and play against pros, get coached by former NFL coaches and focus solely on football, Zierlein believes, would’ve been an attractive option, at least for players who didn’t want to have to sit out a year after transferring. Robinson might have been somewhat of a trailblazer.
“I think that would’ve been something that might’ve changed college football a little bit, at least caused some ripples,” Zierlein said. “You would’ve seen other guys try this route.”
Instead, if he gets drafted, Robinson will be the answer to a trivia question several years from now.