Spring Break
Robinson suiting up for Carolina Panthers
Roger Sauerhaft
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Sports
Following a record-shattering, four-year football career with the RedHawks, receiver and punt returner Ryne Robinson made his NFL debut Sunday, as his Carolina Panthers traveled to the St. Louis Rams.
Though Robinson didn't find the end zone Sunday at St. Louis, he did three kickoffs for a total of 64 yards, and returned three punts for a total of 21 yards.
While Ryne loved to hang out at Brick Street Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings as a student at Miami, he is most remembered for setting school records with 258 receptions and 3,697 receiving yards, along with returning the second most yards on punts of anyone (to Texas Tech's Wes Welker) in NCAA Division I-A history with 1,677.
Robinson, who was 118th in this past April's NFL draft and was taken in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers, immediately found himself on a team with high expectations.
The Panthers played in the Superbowl in 2004 and have made the playoffs two of the past four seasons, never finishing worse than 7-9. The Panthers also drafted another receiver, USC's Dwayne Jarrett, in the second round this year, while already having one of the top receivers in the NFL in Steve Smith.
Robinson currently sits as the team's fifth wide receiver, behind Smith, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter and Jarrett. While he might not catch a whole lot of balls early in the season, he is the team's starting kick-off and punt returner.
"We've got a whole lot of weapons on this team, and the coaches threw me in the fire and told me I was punt returner," Robinson said. "We're very deep and experienced at receiver, and with Smith, Carter and Colbert helping me and Jarrett out, it helps a lot."
Another positive coming from being picked by the Panthers Robinson says is the expert advice from Pro Bowl receiver Smith himself.
"Steve Smith is very fun to be around, he's always cracking jokes," Robinson said. "We share a relationship that nobody else shares because we are two of the smallest guys in the NFL and we came in with the same role. It's a unique situation that nobody else has. He's always in my ear, letting me know a little bit of something about everything, like 'you can do this better' or 'why don't you try this next time.'"
Though Robinson didn't find the end zone Sunday at St. Louis, he did three kickoffs for a total of 64 yards, and returned three punts for a total of 21 yards.
While Ryne loved to hang out at Brick Street Bar and Buffalo Wild Wings as a student at Miami, he is most remembered for setting school records with 258 receptions and 3,697 receiving yards, along with returning the second most yards on punts of anyone (to Texas Tech's Wes Welker) in NCAA Division I-A history with 1,677.
Robinson, who was 118th in this past April's NFL draft and was taken in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers, immediately found himself on a team with high expectations.
The Panthers played in the Superbowl in 2004 and have made the playoffs two of the past four seasons, never finishing worse than 7-9. The Panthers also drafted another receiver, USC's Dwayne Jarrett, in the second round this year, while already having one of the top receivers in the NFL in Steve Smith.
Robinson currently sits as the team's fifth wide receiver, behind Smith, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter and Jarrett. While he might not catch a whole lot of balls early in the season, he is the team's starting kick-off and punt returner.
"We've got a whole lot of weapons on this team, and the coaches threw me in the fire and told me I was punt returner," Robinson said. "We're very deep and experienced at receiver, and with Smith, Carter and Colbert helping me and Jarrett out, it helps a lot."
Another positive coming from being picked by the Panthers Robinson says is the expert advice from Pro Bowl receiver Smith himself.
"Steve Smith is very fun to be around, he's always cracking jokes," Robinson said. "We share a relationship that nobody else shares because we are two of the smallest guys in the NFL and we came in with the same role. It's a unique situation that nobody else has. He's always in my ear, letting me know a little bit of something about everything, like 'you can do this better' or 'why don't you try this next time.'"
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