Michael Robinson flies in from Hawaii to speak at Joe Paterno memorial service


Michael Robinson was in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, but his mind was elsewhere. He had been invited after his impressive performance as a Seattle Seahawks fullback and was in the process of practicing for the big game, but he made the decision to book an 11-hour flight from Hawaii to the mainland to attend a memorial service for former Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

Robinson was once a quarterback for Penn State, having been a large part of the team’s victory in a Big Ten championship back in 2005. When Robinson took the stage at Paterno’s memorial service, he said that the legendary Penn State coach one told him that, one day, he would be in the Pro Bowl as either a running back or a fullback. Sure enough, he is.

“And as God is my witness,” Robinson said at the memorial service, “three hours ago I got off a plane from Hawaii – because I’ve been voted to my first Pro Bowl.”

In the speech, Robinson said that if it weren’t for Paterno he likely would never have been nominated for the Pro Bowl, much less would he be in the NFL. Robinson went on to speak fondly of Paterno’s honesty in his recruitment, promising the up-and-comer that he would receive top-notch education at Penn State, and would compete for the quarterback position.

“Again, Joe Paterno did not lie to me,” Robinson said.

Robinson’s decision to make the long flight to pay tribute to his former coach is certainly admirable, but several players were wondering why Robinson was taking such a long flight out just before the Pro Bowl.

“Some of the game’s biggest stars, when I was down in Hawaii, were asking me, ‘Why are you going on the trip? Why are you going so far? It’s, like. 11 hours in the air,’ ” Robinson said. “My answer? ‘I wouldn’t be any other place in the world right now.’ ”

“Just because he’s not with us, don’t let the dream, don’t let the experiment, don’t let the values go away,” Robinson said as he closed out his speech. “He’s in all of us.”

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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