Template:Infobox CollegeFootballPlayer Denard Xavier Robinson (born September 22, 1990) is an American football quarterback and track and field sprinter from Deerfield Beach, Florida. Robinson is currently the starting quarterback for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team. During the 2010 season, he set the Division I FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season and became the 2010 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He also holds Michigan single-game and single-season records for total offense and the Big Ten Conference single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He is also the only player in any NCAA division to both rush and pass for 1500 yards in the same season and the only player in NCAA Division I FBS history to both pass for 200 yards and rush for 200 yards in a regular season game twice in his career.
He enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2009 and was the school's second-string quarterback as a true freshman. In the 2010 season opener against Connecticut, Robinson broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards and also broke the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He shattered his own records in his second start as quarterback against Notre Dame with 258 rushing yards and 502 yards of total offense. After five starts at quarterback, Robinson had the top three single-game performances in total offense (502 yards against Notre Dame, 494 yards against Indiana, and 383 yards against Connecticut).
Robinson acquired the nickname "Shoelace" because he plays football with his shoelaces untied and instead uses Velcro. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, and as a member of the 2010 Michigan track team, he also recorded the team's fastest competition time for the year in the 60-meter dash.
"Shoelace"
Robinson acquired the nickname "Shoelace" while playing pee-wee football, because he never tied his shoes.[1] He continued to play football without tying his shoelaces throughout his high school career. His high school coach, Art Taylor, noted:
"After 25 years coaching, if the kid can throw it 90 yards in the air and is accurate and the kid can run as fast as he does ... as long as he feels comfortable, not lacing his shoes, fine with me. The kid's been doing it all his life, why mess with it?"[2]
In April 2009, University of Michigan quarterbacks coach Rod Smith told a reporter, "He ain't tied his shoes one time since he's been here."[1] Smith recalled a recruiting trip to Florida when he heard Robinson's high school coach yell, "Hey, Shoelace."[3] The coach explained to Smith, "Well, he's never tied his shoes since like the eighth grade."[1] On learning that Robinson could run the 100 meters in 10.4 seconds with unlaced shoes, Smith said, "It's the damnedest thing I've ever seen." Smith said he had no plans to ask Robinson to tie his shoes: "Anybody that runs that fast I'm not going to tell him how to tie his shoes."[1]
The nickname spawned extensive media attention during Robinson's freshman year at Michigan.[3][4] The focus on Robinson's untied shoeleaces continued as his fame grew in 2010. One newspaper opened its game coverage of the 2010 Notre Dame game as follows: "The legend of the shoelaces is growing."[5]
Robinson wears Adidas Reggie2 Superfly shoes with a Velcro strap to secure them to his feet. The head of sports marketing for Adidas noted: "It's great exposure for us."[2]
Deerfield Beach High School
As a ninth grader, Robinson tried out for a spot as a defensive back for the varsity football team at Deerfield Beach High School in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The team's defensive coordinator at the time was former Buffalo Bills defensive back Manny Martin, who was also Robinson's algebra teacher. Martin later recalled that he had an experienced defensive backfield, but Robinson "was always in my ear: 'I can do it.'"[6] Robinson did not win a spot on the varsity team and instead played quarterback for the junior-varsity team as a ninth grader.[6]
Robinson became the starting quarterback for the Deerfield Beach varsity team as a sophomore and filled that position for three years from 2006 to 2008.[6] Deerfield Beach head coach Art Taylor recalled, "As soon as he stepped on that field his sophomore year playing varsity, we knew we had something special. ... I've always said speed kills -- there's no substitution for speed. Denard runs a legit 4.3 [40-yard dash], and that's hard to mess with."[7]
In a 2007 state semifinal playoff game played at the Orange Bowl, Robinson led the team to within two points of upsetting Miami Northwestern, the top-ranked high school team in the country. While warming up, Robinson noticed that a Miami Northwestern lineman had taped a photograph of Robinson onto the front of his helmet. Robinson started laughing and told the player, "You think that scares us?"[6] Robinson had Deerfield ahead in the game, 12–7, but Miami Northwestern completed a 99-yard touchdown drive with 18 seconds left to give them a 14–12 win. After the game, Robinson took responsibility for the loss, blaming himself for failing to score on the previous possession on a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line.[6]
In October 2008 against St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Robinson was responsible for six touchdowns in a single game, passing for 342 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown.[8][9] As a three-year starter for Deerfield Beach, Robinson totaled nearly 6,000 yards of total offense with 4,784 passing yards (262 for 576 passing) and 1,132 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry).[10]
Robinson also competed in track for Deerfield Beach. In March 2009, he ran the 100 meters sprint in 10.44 seconds,[11] and finished third in the 100-meter dash at the 2008 Florida 4A Track & Field State Championships.[10] He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds.[10] He was also a member of the 2008 Florida High School Athletic Association state champion 4 x 100 metres relay team.[10]
Recruiting
As a high school senior, both Rivals.com and ESPN ranked him as a general athlete, with ESPN listing him seventh and Rivals listing him fourteenth at the "position." They also ranked him at 101 (ESPN) and 188 (Rivals) among all high school prospects regardless of position.[12][13] Scout.com categorized him using cornerback as his primary position, and ranked him as 16th in the nation.[14]
Robinson received scholarship offers from Florida, Georgia, Kansas State, Michigan, and other top programs.[15] Michigan initially recruited Robinson as a defensive back. When Michigan's defensive coordinator Scott Shafer offered him a scholarship as a defensive back, Robinson declined.[16] Robinson recalled, "I really wanted to play quarterback at the next level. That was one of my goals, to play quarterback at the college level."[16] After observing his passing abilities, Michigan's coaching staff recruited him as a quarterback. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez noted, "He was a lot of fun to recruit. It was a battle to the end because a lot of schools, such as Florida, were recruiting him as an athlete, but the fact that we told him quarterback and were able to show him we had used similar quarterbacks in the past probably helped us a little bit."[17]
On February 4, 2009, Robinson announced that he had signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Michigan in the fall.[18][19]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denard Robinson QB |
Deerfield Beach, Florida | Deerfield Beach (FL) | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | 4.44 | Feb 4, 2009 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16 (CB) Rivals: 188, 14 (Athlete), 35 (FL) ESPN: 101, 7 (Athlete) | ||||||
Sources:
|
University of Michigan
2009 football season
During Michigan's pre-season training camp in 2009, Robinson was in competition for the starting quarterback position with fellow freshman Tate Forcier and junior Nick Sheridan.[20] In late August 2009, Detroit Free Press columnist Michael Rosenberg called Robinson "the one to watch" and "the first quarterback in Rodriguez's tenure at Michigan who can come close to matching [Pat] White's skills."[21] Forcier, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice,[22] won the spot as the starting quarterback in 2009, but Robinson saw significant playing time as a true freshman, appearing in all 12 games.[10]
On September 5, 2009, in season opener against Western Michigan, Robinson scored a touchdown on his first collegiate snap. As the ESPN television broadcast focused on his untied shoelaces, Robinson took the snap in the shotgun formation, ran to the right, broke a tackle at the 40-yard line, then cut left and ran 43 yards for a touchdown.[23][24]
Two weeks later against Eastern Michigan, he ran quarterback draw plays for two touchdowns of 13 and 36 yards to break open a 31–17 game, though he also threw two interceptions.[10][25][26]
In Michigan's October 10 game against Iowa, Robinson replaced Forcier in the fourth quarter with the team trailing 30–21. He led the team on a 59-yard scoring drive capped by his own 3-yard touchdown run with 3:16 left to cut the lead to 30–28. However, on the following drive, Robinson's threw an interception at Michigan's 31-yard line with 44 seconds remaining in the game.[27][28]
One week after the loss to Iowa, Robinson led the Wolverines on four scoring drives against Delaware State.[29] Two of the drives ended with touchdown passes of 28 and 38 yards by Robinson and another with a Robinson run.[30] The touchdown passes were the first of his career.[10] His only start of the season came on November 14 against Wisconsin, when he started at running back.[10]
During the 2009 season, Robinson completed 14 of 31 passes for 188 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also had 351 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in 69 attempts.[31]
2010 track season
Robinson also competed for the Michigan track team during his freshman year.[32] At the start of track season in January 2010, Robinson told a reporter, "When I was getting recruited I always wanted to run track and play football. It helped me move faster on the football field."[32] Michigan head track coach Fred LaPlante said Robinson had one of the 10 fastest 100-meter high-school times in the United States in 2009 and ranked as "one of the four or five best guys in the Big Ten."[32] LaPlante emphasized Robinson's "quickness":
"One thing in football that you don't see in track is quickness. He's incredibly quick and his lateral movement is unbelievable and his ability to go in one direction and get in another. The perception people have is that's speed. That's not speed, that's quickness. But this thing is basically he has to run straight down the track. You're not dodging anybody, there’s no linebackers, you just go."[32]
Robinson won the 60-meter dash in his college track debut in "The Dual" against Ohio State on January 16, 2010.[10] His time of 6.81 stood up as the best by a Wolverine for the season.[33] He finished fifth in the 60-meter dash at the Meyo Invitational on February 6, 2010.[10] He finished ninth in the event at the 2010 Big Ten Indoor Championships in late February 2010, failing to qualify for the finals by four-thousandths of a second.[10]
LaPlante recalled becoming panic-stricken during a practice race when Robinson was "running so fast he was having trouble holding the turn."[6] Concerned about an injury to the football team's quarterback, LaPlante yelled out, "Denard! Please, don't do that again! I'll be fired in 2 seconds!" LaPlante recalled Robinson's reaction: "He had that great big smile on his face."[6]
2010 football season
Pre-season competition
During spring practice in April 2010, Robinson impressed coaches and observers, leading to speculation as to whether Robinson would overtake Forcier as the Wolverines' starting quarterback.[34][35][36] The competition for Michigan's starting quarterback position continued through late August and early September 2010.[37][38][39] In mid-August 2010, Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo opined, "Nobody runs like Robinson. Man, he's fast."[39] In early September 2010, Angelique Chengelis profiled Robinson in The Detroit News. Chengelis wrote:
"The prevailing belief is that Robinson has worked hard enough and improved enough to earn the job. He took significant steps in spring practice, and from all accounts, he showed his teammates an incredible devotion to offseason conditioning and film viewing, all in the interest of honing his game and improving Michigan's chances."[40]
On the morning of Michigan's season opener, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that "the mystery surrounding who would be the Wolverines' No. 1 [quarterback] was a major story line, with coach Rich Rodriguez keeping his decision secret until the very last minute."[41]
UConn: 383 yards of total offense
Robinson did start Michigan's season opener against Connecticut. In the first half, he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries for an average of 8.7 yards per carry.[42] He finished the game with 383 yards of total offense, including 186 passing yards (19 of 22 passing) and 197 rushing yards on 29 carries (6.9 yards per carry).[43] Robinson's rushing yardage against UConn was the most ever by a Michigan quarterback.[42][44][45][46] He also broke Michigan's single-game record for total offense with 383 yards.[10][47] For his efforts Robinson earned Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week, AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week, and Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week recognition.[48][49][50]
Less than a week after his performance in the Connecticut game, the New York Daily News wrote that Robinson had acquired "cult hero" status: "He has started only one game at quarterback for Michigan, but Denard Robinson is already a cult hero to the Wolverine faithful."[51]
With this start, Robinson became the first African American to start at quarterback for Michigan since Michael Taylor in 1989.
Notre Dame: 502 yards of total offense
In his second start at quarterback, Robinson led Michigan to a 28–24 win over Notre Dame. He passed for 107 yards and ran for 174 yards in the first half. The highlight of Robinson's first half was an 87-yard touchdown run that ranks as the longest run from scrimmage in Notre Dame Stadium's 80-year history.[52] He finished the game with 502 of Michigan's 532 yards of total offense (258 rushing yards and 244 passing yards), breaking the Michigan record he set in his first start.[53][54] Robinson scored the winning touchdown with 27 seconds remaining on a 2-yard run, capping a 12-play, 72-yard drive.[53] Robinson also broke Mike Kafka's Big Ten Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback and became the ninth quarterback in NCAA history (and the first since Pat White in 2006) to rush and pass for more than 200 yards in a single game.[55][56][57][58] His rushing total also ranks as the all-time best in a road game by any Michigan player, regardless of position.[59]
After the game, Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters, "He's so instinctive. He's going to keep getting better. There are at least 12 or 15 plays he could be better on, which is exciting."[57] Brandon Graham, who played with Robinson at Michigan in 2009 and now plays with Michael Vick on the Philadelphia Eagles told reporters that Robinson is even quicker than Vick: "Both of them are pretty fast, I just think Vick's older; he's not really that fast like how Shoelace is. I think Shoelace is more quick than Vick, but Vick, he gets away. He's pretty fast still. I think Shoelace might have got him by a couple steps."[60]
Robinson's performance drew praise from the national media. The Wall Street Journal called Robinson "the breakout star of the young 2010 season" and drew attention to his "absurd rushing totals."[61] Columnist Mitch Albom wrote: "Denard Robinson redefined the term 'offensive weapon' on Saturday against Notre Dame."[62] ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit noted the "confident aura" around Robinson:
"The body language he exudes is, 'I'm a winner.' He's small in stature, but his heart you can almost see it pounding through his jersey. And then he has, like all the great ones, he plays with a swagger like, 'You can't stop me.'"[7]
Gregg Doyel, national columnist for CBSSports.com, proclaimed Robinson the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy: "Denard Robinson has earned the right to pole position in the Heisman race. It's not close. And if he stays healthy, I fully expect him to walk across a stage in New York City in December and take that trophy home."[63]
For his performance against Notre Dame, Robinson was selected for the second consecutive week as the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week,[59] the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week,[64] the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week,[65] and the CBSSports.com Player of the Day.[66] He is the first player to earn the Walter Camp honor two weeks in a row,[67] and the fourth to do so twice in a season.[68] He was also named the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week.[69] CBS Sports' Verne Lundquist joked: "He might become the first guy to win both the Davey O'Brien and the Doak Walker."[70]
Robinson totaled 455 rushing yards and 885 yards of total offense in the first two games of the 2010 season, which led Division I FBS.[71][72] Through the first two weeks of the season, Robinson had by himself outgained 87 of the 120 FBS teams in total offense.[73]
UMass: 345 yards of total offense
In his third start at quarterback, Robinson led Michigan to a 42–37 win over UMass. UMass caught the Wolverines on their heels and took a 17–7 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first half, but Robinson threw two touchdown passes to Darryl Stonum in the final 61 seconds of the half. Michigan led 21–17 at halftime on the strength of 259 yards (195 passing yards and 64 rushing yards) of total offense from Robinson. After criticism that Robinson was being given too many carries, Coach Rodriguez let running back Michael Shaw take the bulk of the load in the second half, and Shaw responded with his first 100-yard rushing game (126 yards on 12 carries). Even so, Robinson finished the game with 345 yards of total offense, including 241 passing yards and 104 rushing yards.[74] His 345 yards against UMass ranked as the 10th best single-game total offense output in Michigan history. Robinson also threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third touchdown.[74][75] With 10 of 14 passes being completed for 241 yards, 1 interception and 2 touchdown passes, Robinson had a career-high, single-game passer rating of 248.88.[31]
After three games, Robinson had compiled 1,230 yards of total offense for an average of 410 yards per game.[31] He also had 559 rushing yards in the first three games, 57 yards more than any Michigan player compiled in all 12 games of the 2009 season.[76] After three weeks, he continued to be the Division I FBS leader in both total offense per game and total rushing yards per game.[31][77][78]
Bowling Green: 189 yards of total offense in the 1st quarter
Robinson played less than ten minutes in Michigan's 65–21 over Bowling Green.[79] He rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on his first five runs from scrimmage.[79] On his fifth carry, Robinson ran 46 yard before being tackled and falling hard on his left knee. Sports Illustrated columnist Andy Staples wrote, "Robinson writhed in pain on the sideline ..., clutching his left knee. Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez looked equally pained. His franchise -- and possibly his job -- was down, and for a few moments, it wasn't clear whether Robinson could play again."[80]
Robinson came out of the game with six minutes remaining in the first quarter and, despite being cleared to play in the second half did not return to the game. Robinson averaged 25.8 yards per carry and also completed all four of his passes for 60 yards.[81] He totaled 189 yards of total offense in the quarter.[79] After the game, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said, "Denard seems to be fine. He tweaked his knee a little bit. I think [if] he had to come back in he could have. So he will get some treatment and get ready to go and he'll be good to go next week."[82]
Indiana: 494 yards of total offense
Playing against Indiana in the fifth game of the season, Robinson totaled 494 yards of total offense, the second-highest single-game total in Michigan history. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and he gained 217 rushing yards on 19 carries for an average of 11.4 yards per carry.[83] On Michigan's second play from scrimmage, Robinson ran 72 yards for a touchdown.[84] He added touchdown passes of 32 yards and 3 yards in the first half. On the second play of the second half, Robinson threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway, the longest of his career, to give Michigan a 28-21 lead.[84] On Michigan's next drive, Robinson aggravated the knee injury sustained the prior week against Bowling Green. He came out of the game for the remainder of the drive but returned to the game on the following drive. With the game tied 35-35, Michigan got the ball back with 1:15 remaining. Robinson led a 65-yard touchdown drive to win the game. With 21 seconds left in the game, Michigan had the ball at the Indiana 46-yard line. Robinson completed a 32-yard pass to take the ball to the 4-yard line. On the next play, Robinson finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds remaining.[83][84]
With his performance against Indiana, Robinson became the first player in Division I FBS history to have two regular season games with 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.[85] Seven others have accomplished the feat (including Pat White, Vince Young, and Antwaan Randle El), but none have done so more than once in the regular season. Vince Young accomplished this feat once in the regular season and once in the Rose Bowl.[85]
After the game, Indiana coach Bill Lynch praised Robinson: "He's just a great athlete. He's one of those guys that's just different. He's got speed. He's got awareness. He's got instincts and he's a very, very good passer, as well. You can see it on film getting ready for him, but on the field, you sense the same thing. Some athletes are just different. They have not only talent, but competitiveness and a sense of how to play the game."[86]
In ESPN's "Heisman Watch" column, Dari Nowkhah wrote that Robinson was "running away with the Heisman Trophy" and compared him to 1988 Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders:
"We haven't seen this type of college football playmaker since ... Barry Sanders? I'm not saying Robinson reminds me of Sanders. (How could a quarterback remind me of a running back?) But there is a shocking resemblance between the diminutive playmakers in their speed, elusiveness and quickness. So is the effect the two have on my sense of what is right and wrong. Being that dominant on a football field somehow feels wrong. It's unfair. Sanders was always, by far, the best player on the football field (college or NFL) whenever he played. Robinson is the same way."[87]
On October 4, 2010, Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (for the third time in five weeks),[88] and also received the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week award (for the second time in four weeks).[89]
After five games, Robinson remained the nation's leading rusher in both total yards (905) and yards per game (181).[90] Robinson also moved up the leader board in quarterback rating. After five games, he ranked fourth in the country with a quarterback rating of 180.[91]
Michigan State: 301 yards of total offense
Robinson totaled 301 yards of total offense in Michigan's 34–17 loss to Michigan State. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 215 passing yards and gained 86 rushing yards on 21 carries. Robinson also threw three interceptions in the game after giving up only one interception in the prior five games.[92] After the loss, Robinson spoke to his teammates in the locker room. Kelvin Grady said, "He was just standing right at his locker and he spoke up. It was loud and encouraging. He didn't say many words, but what he did say, I feel like he got a lot of respect for it. I felt it. I've never heard him speak out the way he did — I don't think a lot of guys have. It was with more force, a little bit more meaning. They definitely felt what he was saying. ... Denard handled it well. It was a tough game, but my feeling is, he really grew up. All the great things that have happened for him (this season), he's still about this team, and he wants this team to do well."[93]
Despite a "lackluster" performance against the Spartans, Sports Illustrated selected Robinson for its "Halfway Heisman" following the Michigan State game.[92] He was also selected by ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach as the Offensive MVP in its Mid-Season Awards.[94]
After six games, Robinson continued to rank first in the nation with 991 rushing yards.[95] However, with three interceptions in week six, he dropped from fourth to twelfth in pass efficiency with a 164.1 quarterback rating.[96]
Iowa: 201 yards of total offense
In Robinson's seventh game as Michigan's starting quarterback, Michigan lost to Iowa, 38–28. On the first play of Michigan's second drive of the third quarter, Robinson suffered a shoulder injury at the end of a 12-yard run and was replaced by Tate Forcier for the remainder of the game.[97] Michigan trailed 21–7 when Robinson left the game. Robinson completed 13 of 18 passes for 96 yards with one interception and one touchdown pass. He also totaled 105 rushing yards on 18 carries.[98]
Penn State: 381 yards of total offense
In Robinson's eighth start, Michigan lost to Penn State, 41–31. Robinson had 381 yards of total offense consisting of 191 rushing and 190 passing yards. Robinson ran with the ball 27 times for three touchdowns and an average of 7.1 yards per carry. Robinson also threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Koger in the third quarter.[99] With 191 rushing yards against Penn State, Robinson's season rushing total reached 1,287 yards, breaking Antwaan Randle El's Big Ten record of 1,270 rushing yards by a quarterback.[100] Robinson was also named a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist.[100]
Illinois: 367 yards of total offense
In his ninth start, Robinson passed for a career-high 302 yards and ran for 62 yards. His 367 yards was seventh best in Michigan history. On the first play from scrimmage, Robinson threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree.[101] In the second quarter, Robinson also threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Roundtree and another 75-yard pass to Roundtree to set up Michigan's third touchdown. Robinson set a school single-half record with 262 passing yards in the first half.[102] Robinson came out of the game at the end of the third quarter after reporting concusion-like symptoms, including dizziness and headaches.[103] Michigan went on to win the game 67-65.[101] Robinson and substitute Tate Forcier combined to break Michigan's all-time, single-game record with 419 passing yards, surpassing the prior record of 396 yards by Tom Brady and Drew Henson against Michigan State in 1999.[104] The following week, Robinson, was named as one of sixteen Maxwell Award semifinalists.[105]
2010 season statistics
Robinson finished the regular season with 1,643 rushing yards, the most by any player in in NCAA Division I FBS. He averaged 136.9 yards per game, to rank second in the FBS subdivision. He also compiled 3,959 yards of total offense for an average of 329.9 yards per game.
In the 10th game of the season against Purdue, Robinson passed John Navarre's Michigan single-season total offense record of 3,240 yards set in 2003. In the 11th game of the regular season against Wisconsin, he broke the Division I FBS single-season quarterback rushing record of 1,494 yards previously held by Beau Morgan of Air Force.[106] He also became the first person in NCAA (all divisions) history to record 1,500 yards rushing and passing in the same season.[107] After the end of the Big Ten regular season, he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and the media—despite not being named by the coaches to either the first or second All-Big Ten team (Dan Persa of Northwestern was the first-team quarterback, and Scott Tolzien of Wisconsin was the second-team quarterback). Robinson was the first team selection by the media, however.[108][109][110]
With one bowl game remaining, Robinson is 230 yards short of Drew Brees' Big Ten single-season total offense record of 4,189 yards.[111] and 175 yards short of Tim Biakabutuka's Michigan school record of 1,818 rushing yards. Nonetheless, he was not selected as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.[112]
Michigan's all-time total offense leaders
Single game
In his first season as Michigan's starting quarterback, Robinson had the four top single-game performances in total yards in Michigan history, and six of the top ten, as reflected in the following list of the all-time, single-game leaders.
Rank | Player | Year | Opponent | Passing yards[113] | Rushing yards[113] | Total offense |
1 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Notre Dame | 244 | 258 | 502 |
2 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Indiana | 277 | 217 | 494 |
3 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Connecticut | 186 | 197 | 383 |
4 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Penn State | 190 | 191 | 381 |
5 | John Navarre | 2003 | Iowa | 389 | (21)[114] | 368 |
6 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Illinois | 305 | 62 | 367 |
7 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | Wisconsin | 239 | 121 | 360 |
8 | Scott Dreisbach | 1995 | Virginia | 372 | (14) | 358 |
9 | John Navarre | 2003 | Minnesota | 353 | 3 | 356[115] |
10 | Tom Brady | 1999 | Alabama | 369 | (16) | 353 |
Single season
Michigan's top five single-season performances in total offense are set forth below.
Rank | Player | Year | Passing yards[113] | Rushing yards[113] | Total offense |
1 | Denard Robinson | 2010 | 2316 | 1643 | 3959 |
2 | John Navarre | 2003 | 3331 | (91) | 3240 |
3 | John Navarre | 2002 | 2905 | (16) | 2889 |
4 | Jim Harbaugh | 1986 | 2729 | 118 | 2847 |
5 | Chad Henne | 2004 | 2743 | (137) | 2606 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Dave Birkett (August 23, 2009). "How 'Shoelace' Robinson came to be". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Mark Snyder (September 17, 2010). "Denard Robinson's shoelaces gain notice". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ a b Adam Rittenburg (August 23, 2009). "Michigan's Robinson hopes to untie QB race". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ David Brousseau (August 24, 2009). "Michigan Gives Nod To Ex-Deerfield QB". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Robinson leads Wolverines to comeback victory". The Niles Star. September 11, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Michigan's Denard Robinson has been QB to watch since Florida prep days". Detroit Free Press. September 17, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) [dead link] - ^ a b Angelique S. Chengelis (September 17, 2010). "Rise of Denard Robinson no surprise to high school coach". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mason Kelley (October 12, 2008). "Robinson's 6 TDS Lead Bucks". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Butch Stallings (October 12, 2008). "Robinson powers Deerfield Beach win". The Miami Herald. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Denard Robinson Player Bio". University of Michigan. Retrieved October 18, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "Bio" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Deerfield sprinter has huge day". The Miami Herald. March 29, 2009.
- ^ "Denard Robinson". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Denard Robinson". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "#16 Denard Robinson Photos (15)". Scout.com. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Deerfield Beach QB Denard Robinson makes his collegiate choice Wednesday: Deerfield Beach quarterback Denard Robinson has plenty of college options, and he won't make the decision before Wednesday". The Miami Herald. February 3, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "Super-QB Denard Robinson was recruited as a defensive back". Detroit Free Press. October 5, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ Mark Snyder (October 5, 2010). "Rich Rodriguez finally compares Denard Robinson to Pat White". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Florida QB Robinson picks U-M". The Detroit News. February 5, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Deerfield Beach's Denard Robinson, Adrian Witty select University of Michigan: In National Signing Day, Deerfield Beach's top stars decided to continue playing together, as they committed to the University of Michigan". The Miami Herald. February 4, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Sports Briefing: College Football; Three Quarterbacks in Mix For Michigan". The New York Times. August 24, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ Michael Rosenberg (August 24, 2009). "U-M freshman QB Denard Robinson the one to watch". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Nathan Sandals (April 18, 2009). "Same Questions as Rodriguez Looks for Answers at Michigan". The New York Times. p. D3. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (September 6, 2009). "No distractions for Wolverines in rout of Western Michigan". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Adam Rittenberg (September 5, 2009). "'Shoelace' Robinson dazzles on first carry". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "E Michigan 17 (0-3, 0-2 away); (25) Michigan 45 (3-0, 3-0 home)". ESPN.com. September 19, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ "Seminoles Dim Brigham Young's Dreams of B.C.S." The New York Times. September 20, 2009. p. SP7. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
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- ^ Dave Birkett (October 17, 2009). "Tate Forcier plays one series; Denard Robinson leads 4 scoring drives". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Delaware St 6 (1-4, 1-2 MEAC); Michigan 63 (5-2, 1-2 Big Ten)". ESPN.com. October 17, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Denard Robinson #16 QB". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
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- ^ "2010 Men's Indoor Track & Field Season Bests". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan QB Denard Robinson steals show before 35,000 fans". The Detroit News. April 17, 2010.
- ^ "Robinson shines in spring game". ESPN.com (AP story). April 17, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Jojo Doria (April 17, 2010). "Quarterback Robinson Dazzles For Michigan In Spring Game". All Headline News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Dave Zapotsky (September 1, 2010). "From puzzled to poised Robinson could be answer at QB for Michigan". The Blade, Toledo, Ohio. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mark Snyder (August 15, 2010). "Denard Robinson emerging at QB for Michigan: Big Ten Network analysts all agree". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ a b "Denard Robinson looking like the starting quarterback for Michigan". USA Today. August 16, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (September 1, 2010). "Starter or not, Denard Robinson's improvement should benefit U-M". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Kyle Kosteron (September 4, 2010). "Report: Denard Robinson to start for Michigan". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Jim Carty (September 4, 2010). "At Michigan, a Day of Record Numbers". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Michael Rosenberg (September 5, 2010). "Denard Robinson runs spread to perfection in Big(ger) House's debut". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Adam Rittenberg (September, 4, 2010). "Robinson works his magic in Michigan win". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (September 4, 2010). "Starting QB Denard Robinson sparks Wolverines to victory in front of record-setting crowd". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (September 6, 2010). "U-M quarterback Denard Robinson proves he can survive heavy workload". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Eddie Timanus (September 7, 2010). "Denard Robinson gives Michigan fans reason to smile". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Robinson Named Walter Camp, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ^ "AT&T ESPN All-America". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Big Ten Names First Football Weekly Honorees of 2010 Season: Conference also honors Freshman of the Week for the first time". CBS Interactive. September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ^ Dick Weiss (September 9, 2010). "Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez doesn't want quarterback Denard Robinson carrying ball 20-plus times". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan QB runs/throws all over Notre Dame: Robinson totals 502 yards of offense in last-minute win". The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana (AP story). September 12, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.("He broke off the longest run in the history of the Irish's fabled stadium — an 87-yarder for a touchdown.")
- ^ a b "Michigan's Denard Robinson caps stellar performance with winning TD". ESPN.com (AP story). September 11, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ The Big Ten Conference single-game record for total offense was set by Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson in 1980 with 585 yards (621 passing and -36 rushing) against Ohio State. "Big Ten Conference Football Full Media Guide". CBS Interactive/Big Ten Conference. January 5, 2010. p. 37. Retrieved September 12, 2010. The NCAA single-game record was set by Houston quarterback David Klingler in 1990 with 732 yards against Arizona State. "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 10. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ "Denard Robinson in exclusive neighborhood". ESPN.com. September 11, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mark Snyder (September 12, 2010). "Robinson shatters all sorts of records". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ a b Jim Carty (September 11, 2010). "Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24: Sophomore Leads Michigan Past Irish". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El is the only other Big Ten quarterback to run and pass for 200 yards in a game.
- ^ a b Angelique S. Chengelis (September 12, 2010). "U-M ranked 20th, 22nd; Denard Robinson earns another national honor". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Eagles' Brandon Graham sees good things happening with Michigan football". Detroit Free Press. September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ Darren Everson (September 12, 2010). "That's Right, He's a Quarterback: Can Michigan's Denard Robinson maintain the same heavy offensive load all year?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mitch Albom (September 11, 2010). "Michigan's Denard Robinson dazzles in win over Notre Dame". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ Gregg Doyel (September 11, 2010). "Heisman race? There's only one leader: Michigan's Robinson". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "AT&T ESPN All-America". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan's Denard Robinson is Big Ten's top player again". The Detroit News. September 13, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Eric Sorenson (September 12, 2010). "Off the Grid: A wrapup of Week 2 in college football". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Pete Bigelow (September 12, 2010). "Top 5 observations on Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, who won another national college football award Sunday". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mark Snyder (September 12, 2010). "Michigan's Denard Robinson offensive player of week". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ Nicole Auerbach (September 13, 2010). "Meet Mr. Robinson, Michigan's electrifying Heisman hopeful". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Total Offense". National Collegiate Athletic Association. September 11, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Rushing". National Collegiate Athletic Association. September 11, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ "Massachusetts-Michigan Preview". ESPN.com (AP story). September 14, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Larry Lage (September 18, 2010). "Denard Robinson is a one-man show as Michigan survives Massachusetts". The Washington Post (AP story). Retrieved September 18, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Robinson saves day, Michigan avoids terrible loss". CBSSports.com. September 18, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "2009 Michigan Football Statistics (12-game Totals)". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 18, 2010.(Brandon Minor led the 2009 Michigan football team with 502 rushing yards.)
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Total Offense". National Collegiate Athletic Association. September 18, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Rushing". National Collegiate Athletic Association. September 18, 2010. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c David Goricki (September 25, 2010). "U-M rolls over Bowling Green, 65-21; Denard Robinson injured". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Andy Staples (September 25, 2010). "Michigan thrives without Robinson, new Heisman threat". SportsIllustratedCNN.com. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan - Bowling Green Box Score". ESPN.com. September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
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- ^ a b Michael Marot (October 2, 2010). "Robinson leads No. 19 Michigan past Indiana 42-35". Associated Press. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b c Angelique S. Chengelis (October 2, 2010). "Denard Robinson (494 more yards) leads another winning drive for U-M". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "Denard Robinson gunning for the Heisman". ESPN.com. October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.("According to the NCAA record book, Robinson is the first player in FBS history to pass for 200 yards and rush for 200 yards in a game TWICE in his career in the regular season.")
- ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (October 2, 2010). "Denard Robinson's stature grows with another dazzling performance for Wolverines". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
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- ^ "U-M's Denard Robinson gets Big Ten award for third time". The Detroit News. October 4, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
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- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Rushing". National Collegiate Athletic Association. October 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Passing Efficiency". National Collegiate Athletic Association. October 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Cory McCartney (October 11, 2010). "Shoelace is pick for Halfway Heisman; Ingram bows out of race". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Angelique S. Chengelis (October 11, 2010). "Denard Robinson earns respect with speech to U-M teammates". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Mark Schlabach (October 11, 2010). "Midseason awards". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "NCAA Division I-A Player Rushing Statistics - 2010". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ^ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Passing Efficiency". National Collegiate Athletic Association. October 9, 2010. Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
- ^ "Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines: Play-by-Play". ESPN.com. October 16, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Denard Robinson hurt in loss to Iowa". ESPN.com. October 16, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan can't stop Nittany Lions' offense". Detroit Free Press. October 30, 2010.
- ^ a b "Big Ten Weekly Football Release - Nov. 1: Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa each have one conference loss with four weekends to play". CBS Interactive. November 1, 2010. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ a b Mark Snyder (November 6, 2010). "Michigan wins overtime thriller over Illinois to become bowl eligible". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ Rohan, Tim (2010-11-06). "Michigan tops Illinois 67-65 in triple overtime thriller". Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
- ^ Mark Snyder (November 9, 2010). "Michigan QB Denard Robinson 'should be fine' vs. Purdue". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ "Michigan's win shatters offensive records". Detroit Free Press. November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ "Robinson Named Semifinalist for Maxwell Award". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ "2009 Division I Football Records Book: Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 13. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
- ^ "Wisconsin's backup RBs combine for 6 TDs as Michigan QB Denard Robinson breaks records". ESPN. 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
- ^ "Big Ten Announces 2010 Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Honors" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. November 29, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ Bigelow, Pete (2010-11-29). "Michigan's Denard Robinson named Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year, other Wolverines honored". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
- ^ "Robinson Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year". CBS Interactive. 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
- ^ "Big Ten Conference Football Full Media Guide". CBS Interactive/Big Ten Conference. January 5, 2010. p. 37. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ "Four finalists named for Heisman Trophy". ESPN. 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- ^ a b c d "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of
Michigan. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
{{cite web}}
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at position 14 (help) - ^ The rushing totals in parenthesis represent negative net yardage.
- ^ Under NCAA rules, total offense is determined by the sum of passing yards and rushing yards. Prior to the 2010 season, John Navarre was Michigan's single-game record holder with 368 yards of total offense against Iowa in 2003. Receiving yards are not counted toward the statistic. Were receiving yards included, Navarre's prior single-game record would have been 392 yards in a 2003 game against Minnesota, consisting of 353 passing yards, 3 rushing yards, and 36 receiving yards.