LINCOLN — Dontrayevous Robinson hates to be tackled. So says Nebraska running backs coach Tim Beck.
It sounds like an obvious requirement for an I-back — any player handling the football, in fact. But Robinson, a sophomore from Euless, Texas, dislikes going down a little more than most.
And he enters this season equipped to stay on his feet longer than last year. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Robinson has gained some 20 pounds since his true freshman season in 2009.
“I feel like I'm faster and stronger,” he said after a preseason practice this week.
He looks set to play behind senior Roy Helu and sophomore Rex Burkhead in the NU backfield, but don't discount Robinson. He's not the same guy who shed his redshirt six games into last season and gained 165 yards on 39 carries in eight games after Burkhead broke a foot.
“I'm pretty confident I can do what I need to do for the team,” Robinson said.
Just what does that entail?
Beck said he doesn't like to stereotype his backs, but that Robinson fills the role of the Huskers' “bruiser.”
“He's just a bigger back, that's all,” the coach said. “He has a little different style, but he has to do everything those other guys have to do. I'm not going to play him (only) on third down.
“He's got good hands, good in pass protection. He finishes runs really well. He brings a dimension of being a good, physical back.”
For those who expect to watch the Roy and Rex Show this fall at Nebraska, think again, according to Beck.
“(Robinson) is a smart enough guy to know that the people who make the decisions, the people that are in the know, we know about him,” Beck said. “The public opinion or the media, they can talk about those other two guys, but we're very pleased with Dontrayevous and what he's doing.”
Robinson has noticed the attention given to Helu, who ran for 1,147 yards last season, and Burkhead, the multi-talented back who rushed for 346 as a rookie last year.
“Everybody talks about Rex and Roy,” he said. “They're my best friends and I'm cool with it, but I love football, too. People may not see that I'm in there. It pushes me to work harder. It's just motivation.”
Robinson rushed for 77 yards in his first game last October against Iowa State, but he lost a fumble at the ISU 13-yard line in the third quarter, contributing to the Huskers' eight-turnover nightmare in a 9-7 loss.
All things considered, though, it was a worthy debut.
“When they pulled my redshirt, honestly, I was very nervous, “ Robinson said. “I really was looking forward to playing, but I knew I wasn't ready. I just had to step up for the team when the team needed me, but deep down in my soul, I knew I wasn't ready.”
He's ready now.
Coach Bo Pelini noted Robinson's added weight and described the back's offseason as “great.” Robinson has performed well in practice this month, Pelini said, though he dropped a couple of balls as a receiver on Thursday.
“Kind of out of character for him,” the third-year coach said.
Robinson brings a physical presence and toughness to the offense, Pelini said.
Ought to make him a nice short-yardage option?
“I think he's more than that,” Pelini said. “He has a pretty wide range of skills and is showing he can do more.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com
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