Larry Robinson (American football)

Last updated

Larry Robinson
No. 45
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1951-04-06) April 6, 1951 (age 73)
Appomattox, Virginia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school: Carver-Price (VA)
College: Tennessee
Undrafted: 1973
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:4
Player stats at PFR

Lawrence Cordill Robinson (born April 6, 1951) is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL), who played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college basketball for the University of Tennessee.

Contents

Early years

Robinson attended Carver-Price High School in Virginia, before moving on to Ferrum College. He helped his team reach the NJCAA National Tournament in consecutive years and received NJCAA All-American honors in 1971.

He transferred to the University of Tennessee for the 1971–1972 season and became the school's second African American basketball player (Wilbert Cherry was the first one). [1] He contributed to the team being the SEC co-champion.

The next year, he was named team captain. He finished his career with an average of 10.9 ppg and 8.8 rpg, while shooting 60% from the floor. He led the team in field-goal shooting and rebounding in both years. [2]

In 1994, he was inducted into the Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Robinson was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 1973 NFL draft. He was a college basketball player who never played a down of college football, that the Dallas Cowboys converted into a running back. [3]

On September 19, he was placed on the inactive list and spent most of the season on the taxi squad. [4] As a rookie, he played in 4 games and was used mainly as a kick returner. He was waived on September 10, 1974. [5]

Personal life

Robinson became the first African American coach in the history of the University of Tennessee, when he was hired as an assistant football coach on October 8, 1974. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Cowboys</span> National Football League franchise in Arlington, Texas

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and has played its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, since its opening in 2009. The stadium took its current name prior to the 2013 season, following the team's decision to sell the stadium's naming rights to telecommunications company AT&T. In January 2020, Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach of the Cowboys. He is the ninth in the team's history. McCarthy follows Jason Garrett, who coached the team from 2010 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Hayes</span> American football player and sprinter (1942–2002)

Robert Lee Hayes, nicknamed "Bullet Bob", was an American sprinter and professional football player. After winning gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics, he played as a split end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. Hayes is the only athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. He was a two-sport standout in college in both track and field and football at Florida A&M University. Hayes was enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2001 and was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January 2009. Hayes is the second Olympic gold medalist to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after Jim Thorpe. He once held the world record for the 70-yard dash. He also is tied for the world's second-fastest time in the 60-yard dash. He was once considered the "world's fastest human" by virtue of his multiple world records in the 60-yard, 100-yard, 220-yard, and Olympic 100-meter dashes. He was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Jones</span> American businessman and Dallas Cowboys owner

Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. is an American businessman and the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team from Bum Bright in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Dorsett</span> American football player (born 1954)

Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Meredith</span> American football player, television sportscaster (1938–2010)

Joseph Donald Meredith, nicknamed "Dandy Don" was an American football player, sports commentator, and actor who played quarterback for nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, and was selected by the Cowboys 32nd overall in the 1960 NFL Draft. He was the second starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, following Eddie LeBaron, and is the first major franchise quarterback in Cowboys history. Under the mentorship of head coach Tom Landry, Meredith led the Cowboys to three-straight postseason appearances from the 1966 to 1968 seasons, including back-to-back NFL Championship Game appearances in the 1966 and 1967 seasons. He was selected a second-team All-Pro in 1966 and made three-straight Pro Bowls from 1966 to 1968.

Leon Lett Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Lett played college football at Emporia State University and was selected in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Cowboys, where he spent 10 seasons. During his final season in 2001, he played for the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Zorn</span> American football player and coach (born 1953)

James Arthur Zorn is an American former professional football player and coach. Zorn was a left-handed quarterback, and is best known as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks for their first eight seasons. He was the quarterback coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2001 until the 2007 season. Before the 2008 season Zorn was originally hired by the Washington Redskins to serve as offensive coordinator. Two weeks after being hired, he was promoted as the team's head coach.

Chris Palmer is an American former football coach and college athletics administrator. Palmer served as the head coach for Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1999 to 2000 and in the same capacity with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League (UFL) in 2010. He was the head football coach at the University of New Haven from 1986 to 1987 and at Boston University from 1988 to 1989. Palmer has also served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. He later returned to the University of New Haven and served as the athletic director from 2018 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed "Too Tall" Jones</span> American football player (born 1951)

Edward Lee Jones, commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones due to his height, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 15 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). In 1979, he left football to attempt a career in professional boxing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rayfield Wright</span> American football player (1945-2022)

Larry Rayfield Wright was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2006.

Dennis Lee Thurman is an American football coach and former player. He is a former coach in the National Football League (NFL) for the Phoenix Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets, and in the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the Memphis Express. He played as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the USC Trojans.

Christopher Collins Warren II is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played from 1990 to 2000, primarily for the Seattle Seahawks, but also for the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell Green (defensive back)</span> American football player (born 1940)

Cornell M. Green, is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys on the National Football League (NFL). He did not play college football at Utah State University, but was a two-time All-American as a basketball player for the Aggies, selected in the 1962 NBA draft, but not in the NFL draft.

William Frederick Bates is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). A fan favorite, he was a Pro Bowl selection in 1984, played in Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX, and was on the Cowboys' roster for Super Bowl XXVII. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Steven Albert Kiner is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Houston Oilers. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning consensus All-American honors twice. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Willie Bernard Jackson Jr. is a former American professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Florida. As a football coach, he was the wide receivers coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duane Putnam</span> American football player and coach (1928–2016)

Duane Clifford Putnam was an American professional football player who was an offensive guard for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pacific Tigers and was selected in the sixth round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and the Cleveland Browns. After retiring from playing, he was the offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Larry Lacewell was an American football player, coach, scout, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Arkansas State University from 1979 to 1989, compiling a record of 69–58–4. Lacewell was later the longtime director of scouting for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).

Jimmy Robinson is a former American football wide receiver and retired wide receivers coach of the National Football League (NFL). He played for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers during his playing career. He was a wide receivers coach in professional football since 1984, coaching for the Memphis Showboats, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, and most recently the Dallas Cowboys.

Hubbard Lindsay "Axe" Alexander was an American football coach. As an assistant coach, he won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) and two national championships at the University of Miami. He played college football at Tennessee State University.

References

  1. "Folk Basketball— .Tennessee Nips Penn State" . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  2. "Shed Your Helmets and Shoulder Pads: Are You Ready For Some Basketball?" . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  3. "Pastorini Passes Oilers Past Dallas" . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  4. "Giants Sign Ex-Cardinal Star Ronald" . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  5. "NFL Transactions" . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  6. "Tennessee Hires First Black Coach". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved October 10, 2015.