A first look at a player profile on Susquehanna DT Averee Robinson (Temple commit) set to run Wednesday morning from PaPreps staff writer Luke Campbell.
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The referee blew the whistle after the player was ruled down in Friday night's game between Susquehanna Township and Carlisle.
A ball thrown by Carlisle had been picked off by a Susquehanna Township defender. But as the mass of bodies receded, it wasn't a small defensive back emerging from the pile, as one would imagine.
Instead, out came Susquehanna's stellar defensive tackle Averee Robinson, a 6-foot-1, 275 pound wrecking ball who isn't hard to locate in the middle of their defensive line. Doubling as a bulldozing guard on offense, Robinson is known much better for his ferocious defensive ability.
"On my defense, my teammates look at me to make the plays, and whether it's pass rushing or run stopping, they want me to spark our defense and keep us going," Robinson said.
He's been a terror in the Mid-Penn Keystone Division for several years, and after a highly successful junior year where he posted eight sacks and was named First-Team All State, he was offered a scholarship to play for Temple. He said the entire recruiting process was great to him, and after Temple, he was offered by Citadel, Youngstown State and Eastern Michigan.
"One thing I liked about Temple was that it was a school that I knew and the location will be good for me," he said.
He should be familiar with the campus in North Philadelphia, since his brother, Owls defensive end Adrian Robinson is a team captain there. He's also on the short list for the 2011 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, annually given to the nation's best defensive player.
Their father, Adrian, Sr. played on Susquehanna Township's 1981 State Championship basketball team and their cousin Curtis Drake, is a current wide receiver for Joe Paterno at Penn State. But abusing quarterbacks seems to be a Robinson specialty, and anyone familiar with football in the Mid-Penn football conference will recall Adrian's days at Harrisburg High School, where he went on to play in the Big 33 Football Classic, and win the MVP.
"I chose Temple because after my brother Adrian went there, I developed a great respect for the program while watching coach Al Golden steadily build the program up," Robinson said, mentioning the former Owls boss who brought the program from a doormat back up to respectability.
The atmosphere at the campus in Philadelphia gave Averee a comfort level, one that ultimately was the deciding factor in his decision.
"That's what drew me most," he said. "When I went up there for a practice, everyone from the players to the coaches showed me love, and at Temple it felt like family, that I belonged and I liked that."
When he's not bursting through the line, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields, he is throwing around his weight on the wrestling mat, and anyone else in his way. Robinson is the reigning PIAA Class AAA 285-pound heavyweight champion.
"I love wrestling and I've been pretty successful," he said, mentioning his state crown, as well as placing in second at nationals. "I had an undefeated season record last year (43-0) of ironically, my brother's number."
His brother Adrian was also a standout wrestler. When comparing the two sports though, Averee doesn't quite know which he is the best at, noting that each have traits that go hand-in-hand with each other.
"Some things I think I get from wrestling is discipline and a swagger that helps me with one-on-one battles," he said. "Wrestling also helps me with conditioning for football because in wrestling there is so much more conditioning than football."
There will another familiar face joining Robinson at Temple. His close friend, Kyle Friend, plays defensive tackle for Class AAAA power Cumberland Valley.
"We grew up together competing against each other at wrestling tournaments and football games and now will get a chance to be on the same side for a chance," Robinson said.
Temple employs a 4-3 base defense, but Robinson definitely feels he's versatile for playing anywhere along the defensive line if he puts his mind to it.
"I feel that I enjoy playing three technique defensive tackle but I also have no problem being a Vince Wilfork type and eating up the middle," he said, talking about the possibility of playing more of a run-stuffing, nose tackle-type in a 3-4 front.
He did however say that he feels more at-home playing end in a 3-4, where the responsibility is more to tie up offensive lineman, while allowing the linebackers to pass rush.
After committing to Temple early this summer, it allowed him to work on fine-tuning aspects of his game, as well as focusing on building upon Susquehanna Township's semifinal loss to Cocalico in the District 3-AAA playoffs last season.
"Some of my strengths are my quickness off the ball, my strength at the point-of-attack and my rush moves off the ball because I feel they can help me shine at the next level," he said.
He also feels he has a motor that never quits, a direct result from the wrestling mat. Never one for a loss of words, Robinson didn't pinpoint a "weakness" saying that he feels it's a legitimate advantage: his size.
"I am a little small for defensive tackle, but to me it almost feels like an advantage," he said. Robinson added that his size helps him stay low, under his opponents' pad level, allowing him to dominate the line of scrimmage. It can't hurt that he molds his game after likely future NFL Hall-Of-Famer Warren Sapp, who certainly always wasn't the biggest guy on the field.
"I love the way he plays, he always found a way to get the job done and sneak in a few sacks," Robinson said.
Before he wraps up his Susquehanna Township career, he has several goals in mind, wanting a state championship on the gridiron and another gold medal for the trophy case on the mat. Above all else, he wants to leave his mark.
"My brother is a very good football player but I'm not trying to be the next Adrian Robinson," he said. "I want to be the first Averee Robinson."
This post was edited on 10/5 2:18 AM by Andrew_Chiappazzi
