Austrian Robinson ’15 arrived at Trinity-Pawling School in the fall of 2012 intending to pursue a basketball career. Two years later, a litany of Division 1 recruiters were visiting Pawling to see Robinson play basketball — but at the next level they had him inked in for the gridiron. “Division 1 schools love linemen who play basketball,” Dave Coratti explains, “It shows that they have quick feet.” In his last fall as head varsity football coach, Coratti remembers seeing Robinson’s 6-foot-5 frame in line for the JV football sign-ups, and immediately grabbed him to join the varsity squad. By his senior year, Robinson had offers from top football programs around the country, finally settling on The University of Mississippi.
Every spring at Ole Miss, one upperclassman defensive player gains the honor of wearing number 38 in remembrance of the late Chucky Mullins. Mullins was paralyzed in his second year as a standout Ole Miss defender, and died of complications after returning to complete his degree. The award signifies the outstanding courage, leadership, perseverance, and determination that Mullins embodied both on and off the field. Last spring, Robinson was surprised to receive the Chucky Mullins Courage Award as a New York import, but he earned the honor for good reason: his diligent and consistent energy, camaraderie, and effort in practice every day.
After redshirting his first year at The University of Mississippi, Robinson wasted no time getting on the field. At defensive end and defensive tackle, he made 4 stops his freshman year, before making 29 takedowns as a sophomore. Last year, he was in on 19 tackles, and this fall he’s already had a huge impact on the Rebels’ 2-2 start.
Ole Miss takes on SEC juggernaut Alabama this Saturday at 2:30. You can catch the game on CBS, and watch out for our own number 38, Austrian Robinson ’15, storming the backfield.