The door swung open and Denard Robinson
introduced himself, offered out his hand and
sat down in a second-floor office inside Schem-
bechler Hall. Robinson, 32, is dressed in all blue
and working on a goatee, still rocking his vintage
dreadlocks.
Memorabilia spanning yearbooks to bobble-
heads are scattered around the room, homages
to Michigan football’s lore. Robinson, of course,
is an integral part of the program’s rich history.
Bridging Rich Rodriguez to Brady Hoke, Robin-
son captivated the fanbase with his electric talent
and ingrained the nickname “Shoelace” into the
hearts of Wolverines across the globe.
From 2010-2012, Robinson’s name was synon-
ymous with Michigan football.
His goal now, a decade later, is to pass that
baton onto someone else.
“I want to get some guys that come up here
and be one of those players for us, one of the guys
that’s a face for the University of Michigan,” Rob-
inson told The Daily. “When they think about
Michigan, you think about that person.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had been in
conversations with Robinson for a while – the
pair initially connected at the beginning of last
season, but Robinson wanted to finish the year in
his previous role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They stayed in touch, and in February, Mich-
igan afforded Robinson that opportunity, hiring
him as its new assistant director of player person-
nel. At last, he returned home.
“I knew I always wanted to come back to
Michigan and be a part of this program in some
type of capacity,” Robinson said. “I was just
excited to be a part of it.”
Robinson’s work involves three primary con-
centrations: watching film, scouring the transfer
portal and hitting the recruiting trail. In each
task, his goal is to find ways for Michigan to
improve.
“It’s been surreal,” Robinson said, grinning.
Surreal for Robinson, sure, but also the high
school players he recruits. Robinson estimates
that 75% of high school players recognize him.
“It’s kind of fun to see,” Robinson said, smil-
ing again. “The younger guys coming up that
watched football when they were younger, it’s
cool to see that those guys still remember me.”
One time, a player didn’t recognize Robinson
for his on-field exploits. He did, though, realize
that Robinson graces the cover of the video game
NCAA 14. “Then he flipped out,” Robinson said,
mimicking the player’s frenetic reaction.
“(Being on the cover) is just a dream come true
for me,” Robinson remembered telling the player.
“I didn’t even dream that far about being on the
front cover of the college game, but it happened
to me. So we’ll make it real that you can do it, too.”
It’s easy to see why Robinson can be an effec-
tive recruiter. Beyond the pedigree – an all-time
great player who holds the NCAA record for
most rushing yards by a quarterback, among
other accolades – Robinson is charismatic and
genuine. The role suits him.
For Robinson, it’s also invigorating.
“It’s based on potential,” Robinson said,
explaining the process. “You can see it. It’s either
good or bad. Sometimes you miss on a guy, some-
times you’re right on a guy. You’re trying to bat
well. You want to be correct every time, but
sometimes you’re gonna have failure. You just
have to get back up and say, ‘Hey, I missed that
one, onto the next.’ That’s how I look at it.”
Robinson is well-versed in the lesson that
things don’t always go your way. In college, Rob-
inson was so popular that professors asked him
to stop showing up to class because his mere
presence created a distraction. But post-gradua-
tion life humbled him.
During his senior year, he suffered an ulnar
nerve injury that ended his career as a quarter-
back, forcing him to switch positions at the next
level. Between injuries and inef-
fectiveness, he never panned
out as a hybrid running
back/wide receiver type.
Robinson’s fall from
grace even prompted a
Player’s Tribune story
last year – penned by
Robinson himself – titled,
What Ever Happened to Denard Robin-
son?
This year, that question has an answer.
Robinson is back at Michigan, and he has
found his place.
Robinson always knew that he wanted to stay
involved in football once his playing days were
behind him. Jacksonville University first hired
him as an offensive analyst and assistant special
teams coordinator in 2019. After their program
disbanded, Robinson joined the Jaguars in 2020
as an offensive quality control coach. The fol-
lowing year, he transitioned to the front office,
assuming a role as a college scouting assistant,
learning the ins-and-outs of player development.
Throughout it all, though, Michigan never lin-
gered far from his mind. If his bye week aligned,
he returned to Ann Arbor for a football game.
If not, he watched every game from his
home, alongside his five-year-
old son, Denard
Xavier
Rob-
inson Jr., a
budding
superfan
himself.
JARED GREENSPAN
Managing Sports Editor
Back at home
Back at home,, Denard Robinson eager to
, Denard Robinson eager to
help Michigan
help Michigan's next generation
s next generation
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 17, 2022 — 5
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