Undrafted from Colgate, Eugene Robinson had one of the longest careers of any Defensive Back.
Signing with the Seattle Seahawks, Robinson made the squad as a rookie and would become a starter at Free Safety, a position he held until the millennium. Robinson was a dominant ballhawk, recording 57 Interceptions, including a league-leading nine in 1993. He was also one of the better tacklers of his time, recording 1,413 in total with four seasons exceeding 100.
Robinson made his first Pro Bowl in 1992, his second in 1993, and there were other years when he could have easily been considered. After 11 years with the Seahawks, Robinson signed with the contending Green Bay Packers and helped them win Super Bowl XXXI. He intercepted John Elway in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XXXII loss to Denver.
The Safety then signed with Atlanta, where his veteran leadership and outstanding defence helped the Falcons make the Super Bowl, meaning that Robinson went to three straight and the second time facing Denver. It was a horrible performance by Robinson, who allowed an 80-yard Touchdown by Rod Smith, and missed a tackle to Terrell Davis that led to a long gain. Robinson was arrested the night before for solicitation, which was especially ironic as he won the Bart Starr Award for outstanding character and leadership.
Robinson played another year in Atlanta but was never forgiven by a large segment of the Falcons fanbase. He had one final year in Carolina before hanging it up, and we wish he was more known for his great games and not Super Bowl XXXIII.
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