Robinson signs with Georgia Military College
By Dan Brown
Berkeley Independent
R.J. Robinson is a man with a plan.
Robinson signed with Georgia Military College on Tuesday, what he hopes will be a stepping stone to a much loftier goal, playing Division I football and beyond that maybe on Sundays in the NFL.
“I want what every football player wants,” Robinson said. “To play for your school, South Carolina, and one day play in the NFL.”
The first step to realizing that dream is a stop off at Georgia Military College.
“I go to school in May for orientation and coach tells me if I sign up for summer session in June I can be ahead of things academically come fall.”
Once Robinson trades his blue and gold for Bulldog red and black, he doesn’t expect his on-field duties to change much.
“I’ll return kickoffs and line up as a running back,” said the 6’2” 235-pound Stag.
Robinson’s attention is currently on getting his Berkeley basketball team into the state playoffs.
“I wish I could play both in college, basketball and football,” Robinson said. “But my first love is football.”
Robinson has attracted serious attention from major football programs such as Clemson, South Carolina and Newberry.
Robinson’s numbers for the 14-1 State Champion Stags are beyond gaudy, and had he played on any other team than Berkeley, would have been even more so.
“I loved lining up next to Bruce,” he said. “I knew if Bruce didn’t score I would. The team would look to us for leadership. They knew if Bruce didn’t score that I would step up and be our leader to get us in the end zone.”
On kickoff returns, Robinson averaged more than 40 yards every time he touched the football. On punts Robinson’s numbers were slightly less at 20 yards a punt.
“It got to a point where opposing teams stopped kicking us the football because of R.J.,” said coach Jerry Brown.
Brown said Robinson is one of those football players who had Sunday size and speed now, as a high school player. “Four years in a good college program and R.J. can be playing football on Sundays.”
For Robinson, the thought process was simple: Catch the ball, find the hole, run for the sticks.
“When I hit the hole I’m thinking touchdown,” he said. “Nothing can stop me once I get the ball.”
It was Robinson’s 29-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that proved to be the final dagger in the heart of Northwestern as Berkeley erased a nine-point deficit to go up by nine in the state title game
