Harty: Robinson works hard to help Hawks
Hawkeye running back Adam Robinson.
No matter where the spotlight shines, Iowa fans should realize by now that sophomore running back Adam Robinson isn’t going anywhere.
Even with Jewel Hampton returning from his one game suspension next week, and even if Brandon Wegher returns from his near-month leave of absence, Robinson still will be a major factor at running back.
We were reminded why during Saturday’s 37-7 season-opening victory over Eastern Illinois as Robinson pounded, slashed and juked his way through the Panther defense for 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
And if that wasn’t enough, he also caught three passes for 43 yards and then showed the same class and humility after the game that he showed throughout last season.
“The (offensive line) gave me some big holes to run through, and they really pushed the defensive line back, which helped my field vision out a lot,” Robinson said. “I couldn’t have done what I did today without those guys.”
And although that’s true, Robinson also couldn’t have done what he did without pushing his 5-foot-9, 205-pound body to the limit.
He ran Saturday like somebody who knows that he has to be at his absolute best to stay on top of the depth chart.
He ran like somebody who appreciates having the opportunity to be a Hawkeye and feels the best way to show it is by busting his butt.
In other words, Robinson ran like he did last season when he came out of virtually nowhere to set an Iowa freshman record with 834 rushing yards.
“It’s really an honor to be able to block for a guy like that,” sophomore center James Ferentz said of Robinson. “You can’t bring him down, and he’s working hard.
“That type of thing we can feed off of, and we try to work harder for him. We’re just really lucky to have a back like Adam.”
The Iowa players also are lucky to have a teammate like Robinson because he always puts the team’s needs in front of his.
There is undoubtedly a part of Robinson that would love to own the spotlight against Iowa State on Sept. 11. He’d jump at the opportunity to carry the football 25 or 30 times against the Cyclones.
But he also knows it wouldn’t be fair because Hampton also deserves his place.
“I’m a team guy,” Robinson said. “It’s not all about one person. It’s not about me. It’s for the team.
“And when Jewel comes back, he is going to definitely help out the team. So we’re going to split up carries, and that’s how it’s going to go.”
Robinson also called himself an unsung hero, which is as accurate as most of quarterback Ricky Stanzi’s passes were Saturday.
“That’s how I view myself,” said Robinson, who graduated from Des Moines Lincoln High School. “And if I’m doing things behind the scenes to help my team and nobody notices, I’m all good with that.”
It’s not that nobody notices, but more so a situation where Robinson gets overshadowed by Hampton and Wegher.
While Robinson was being redshirted as a true freshman in 2008, Hampton was being groomed as the running back of the future. Hampton rushed for 463 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a true freshman backup to Shonn Greene in 2008.
The stage was set for Hampton to become the featured running back in 2009. But then he suffered a knee injury and was lost for the entire season.
His much-anticipated return was delayed even further, with Hampton missing Saturday’s game because of a one-game suspension.
As for Wegher, he was a fan favorite before he even became a Hawkeye because of the incredible things he accomplished in high school. He then proved to be as good as advertised last season by rushing for 641 yards and setting a UI freshman record with eight rushing touchdowns.
Wegher was expected to be a part of Iowa’s three-headed monster at running back this season until he left the team early in preseason practice for personal reasons.
Some fans obsessed over his absence for a while, but with each day that Wegher is gone, and with each sparkling performance by Robinson, it’ll be easier to move on.
It isn’t time to forget about Wegher, but it is time to embrace Robinson for what he does on the field and for how he conducts himself.
Robinson didn’t have a bunch of colleges chasing after him in high school. In fact, he didn’t even have a scholarship offer from Iowa until very late in the recruiting process.
And that happened only after Iowa defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski attended one of Robinson’s games in high school to evaluate a player from the opposing team.
“He was not the primary target of our trip down there,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Adam is just one of those guys who’s quiet and low key and understated.
“He’s been that way since he’s been here. And it just seems like every opportunity he has to do something, he does it well.”
Robinson’s performance Saturday was the latest example of that.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
