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Bijan Robinson is special

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18 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

 

 

If Texas star Bijan Robinson needs advice, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams are on standby

6:00 AM CT   Dave WilsonESPN Staff Writer

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Moments before Bijan Robinson made the first start of his highly anticipated sophomore season at Texas, something felt different.

The former five-star recruit -- the Arizona high school legend who ran for 7,036 yards and 114 touchdowns, both state records -- was making just his seventh start for Texas and already owned school records for yards per carry in a game (19.1 against Kansas State) and in a season (8.2 yards).

But this was a new feeling: Robinson was nervous.

"I've never [played] in front of 100,000 people," said Robinson, whose first year at Texas featured small crowds because of COVID-19 restrictions.

But he found reassurance from a familiar face: legendary Longhorns running back Ricky Williams.

"He just said, 'Go ball out and represent for the guys who have been here before you,'" Robinson said.

Robinson doesn't need any history lessons on those who came before him. They're all around him.

In every aspect of his football life, Robinson has legends or direct ties to his idols as sounding boards, whether it's Williams' brotherhood, coach Steve Sarkisian's connections to his idol, Reggie Bush, or business advice from Earl Campbell. If Robinson aspires to their level of greatness, he can ask firsthand how to get there.

Both Williams and Campbell, the Longhorns' two Heisman Trophy winners, were on the field before the Louisiana game on Sept. 4. Their field. The turf that Robinson was standing on had just been rededicated as Campbell-Williams Field, a permanent reminder, along with their two statues, of their larger-than-life standing on campus.

Two icons, two running backs, two of the only people in the world who could understand the great expectations facing Robinson, who entered the season with the best odds among non-quarterbacks (25-1 at Caesars Sportsbook) to win this year's Heisman.

But more urgently, the Longhorns' season could be dependent on where Robinson's legs take it. First-year coach Sarkisian's momentum at Texas could, too. That's another bond Robinson has with Campbell and Williams, who both had their best seasons for a coach who didn't recruit them.

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Expectations are high in Austin for Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson. Tim Warner/Getty Images

In 1977, when new Longhorns coach Fred Akers took over after Darrell Royal's retirement, he ditched the famed wishbone for the I-formation to take advantage of Campbell's skills. The Longhorns improved from 5-5-1 to 11-1, Campbell rushed for a Southwest Conference-record 1,744 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading the nation in rushing and scoring, and he won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide.

When Mack Brown replaced John Mackovic in 1998, he re-recruited Williams and convinced him to return for his senior season, then built his offense around him. Williams would go on to run for 2,124 yards and 27 TDs that season, winning the Heisman and earning Brown instant credibility in Austin. It also helped jump-start his recruiting machine.

"When the coach believes and Texas has a star running back, special things happen," Williams said.

Robinson's versatile skill set allows Sarkisian to believe, a good fit for a coach who makes running backs a centerpiece of his scheme. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, in his six full seasons as a head coach and two seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator, Sarkisian's running backs have been ranked in the top three in total touches in their conferences each year, with all of them surpassing 225. Robinson had 102 touches last season as a freshman under Tom Herman.

In Texas' 38-18 win over No. 23 Louisiana on Saturday, the Longhorns ran 68 offensive plays. Robinson got the ball on 24 of them, running for 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and catching four passes for 73 yards and a touchdown before giving way to backups. All of last season, he had career highs of 16 carries (in a loss to Iowa State) and three catches (against Kansas State).

He caught a touchdown pass on a wheel route out of the backfield, and even lined up in the slot, showing how dangerous he can be as a receiver.

"I go against that guy every day, and when I tell you it is a struggle, Bijan makes us work," said Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who had 13 tackles against Louisiana. "I felt like that's one reason why we're so good at tackling, because let me tell you, trying to tackle Bijan every day in practice is not the easiest thing to do. He's amazing."

Robinson said he studied another Heisman winner, Bush, to develop his style and work on his versatility. He wears No. 5 as an homage to Bush, who wore the number at USC.

"He didn't waste any time trying to break down defenders," Robinson said. "He just broke them down quick and got north and south immediately."

Sarkisian, of course, saw Bush firsthand as USC's quarterbacks coach during Bush's glory days with the Trojans. He knows what Bush did, how he did it, and how to utilize Robinson's abilities in a similar fashion, and he can envision Robinson playing like Bush in his offense.

"I always said Reggie had such a unique ability to put his foot in the ground, one cut and get vertical and get back to top-end speed," Sarkisian said. "Guys have tried to do it before, but very few could do it that way, and I think Bijan is a unique guy that can play at top-end speed, put his foot in the ground, make someone miss. Those one-cuts are violent. You almost feel the ground when they put that foot in it. So they are unique that way for sure."

Robinson does everything fast. He answers questions rapid-fire, punctuating the response with a "yeah" almost before they're finished being asked. He offers insightful responses that show off his personality, like saying after the game Saturday that his first touchdown catch was a matchup exploit based on something Sarkisian saw on the previous play.

"I don't want to give all the secrets out," Sarkisian said with a smile about that comment on Monday.

Robinson's enthusiasm, potential and platform make him one of college football's best bets to cash in on the new name, image and likeness rules. In addition to some deals such as a clothing line collaboration and selling personalized Cameo videos for $189 (up from $100 initially), Robinson has already taken advantage of a very Texas opportunity, partnering with one of the state's best barbecue spots.

In his new business concerns, as well, Robinson has found a mentor in a Heisman winner.

For more than 40 years, Campbell has been in the NIL business, including his legendary Skoal commercial. Earl Campbell's Hot Links are a grocery-store staple, with Campbell on the package wearing a cowboy hat and holding a football on his hip.

When Robinson was trying to get a handle on business opportunities, he turned to Campbell, who invited him to his Austin home to walk through his options.

"I told him there's a lot of money to be made in this," Campbell said. "What the NCAA is doing with these young men is the proper thing to do. When I came to college at UT from Tyler, Texas, I left a mother, six brothers and four sisters. There's no way my mother could have helped me in college. If I would've had something like this in college, it would've made a big difference in my life. The NCAA has gotten rich enough. Guys like myself have made them billions."

Robinson, who was in awe of Campbell's trophy room and memorabilia, said Campbell made sure he understood that you will be judged by the company you keep and to always make sure you're doing things you believe in.

"He's a role model for me in the NIL stuff," Robinson said. "He did all those business deals in the NFL, and those are the same kind of things I'm trying to do right now."

Campbell is the no-nonsense of the two, a Texas icon who doesn't pull any punches and is an almost mythical figure graced with otherworldly strength. Williams, who broke Tony Dorsett's all-time Division I rushing record while at Texas (since broken by former Wisconsin back Ron Dayne), offered a blend of speed and power to which Robinson aspires. And Robinson, like Williams, has a more contemplative style.

His pregame hype music, he said, is sounds of the ocean, or the "Watercolor" station on Pandora.

"I love to listen to soft music and just get my mind elsewhere," he said. "It's the music you hear in elevators, like smooth jazz."

Robinson and Williams also followed a similar path to Texas stardom. They're both outsiders, coming from Pac-12 country -- Robinson from Arizona, Williams from San Diego.

"When someone is in the right place at the right time, you can feel there's something special about them," Williams said. "I thought I needed to be at Texas. That's why I made the trip. And I sense something with Bijan, one of the top-rated running backs in the nation coming from Tucson. It just has that feel to it."

And like Williams before him, Robinson has already been crowned as the Next Great Texas Running Back. Williams was nicknamed "Little Earl" early in his Texas career. Last year, Williams himself dubbed Robinson "Little Ricky" on the Longhorn Network.

"I threw it out there because when the name comes from inside the circle, I think it means more than when it comes from outside the circle," Williams said. "You can say a lot of things about expectations. But the reason I came to Texas was because of expectations. The reason I came to Texas was to win the Heisman Trophy, to be special. And so, me giving him that name is me telling him that: That's my expectation."

When Robinson and Williams finally had time to hang out for several hours this summer at an event in Arizona, Robinson said there was a quick bond.

"It was just like having a big brother," Robinson said. "We saw each other and it was instant love. We talked for about four hours on what he's done here and how he can help me. He taught me the ropes in the little time that we were together. It was really inspiring."

On Saturday, the Longhorns visit old Southwest Conference rival Arkansas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), and Robinson figures to be a key factor.

Last year, the Razorbacks allowed 192.1 rushing yards per game, 93rd nationally, and were 106th in total yards per game, allowing 451.7. Robinson gained 5.8 yards after contact per carry last season, second best in the country, while Arkansas allowed 103.2 yards after contact per game.

Robinson has insisted all offseason that he had no issues with his limited opportunities last season, saying he always wants to do whatever his coaches need from him. It wasn't all that unusual for him in high school to get only 10 to 15 carries because he reeled off such big runs his team would get a lead and he'd sit out the second half.

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Coach Steve Sarkisian has told running back Bijan Robinson he'll be getting frequent touches in the Longhorns offense. Scott Wachter/USA TODAY Sports

But it's clear Robinson is ready and willing to take on a bigger role.

"As I talk to Bijan, one of the things he's most excited about is Sark has told him, 'We're gonna give you the ball,'" Williams said.

On the final Sunday before the season started, Robinson and wide receiver Jordan Whittington made an NIL appearance, signing autographs in nearby New Braunfels, Texas. As they signed items for Longhorns fans and took pictures with kids flashing the "Hook 'Em Horns" sign, Campbell made an unscheduled appearance and sat at the table alongside the players.

"These college coaches don't seem to want guys around these young men like a Ricky Williams or an Earl Campbell," said Campbell, who frequently attends Longhorns practice. "I don't know if it's intimidating to them. But one thing about Sarkisian, he reached out his hand, and I think that made the players feel comfortable and it made me feel comfortable."

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Earl Campbell has been a valuable resource for Bijan Robinson, far left, as he navigates stardom at Texas. Dave Wilson/ESPN

Heisman chatter and lofty expectations can be a lot to handle for a sophomore. But Williams thinks Robinson is equipped to handle the noise.

"I don't want to put the pressure on him, but he already knows," Williams said. "People would ask me if I felt a lot of pressure. I'd say no, because the pressure I put on myself is much greater than the pressure anyone else could put on me. I feel like Bijan has that kind of confidence."

Robinson agreed.

"It's just doing something that you love," he said. "There can't be pressure if you love it and God gave you the ability to do it."

That doesn't mean he won't hear an invitation from Campbell to join an elite club. At the autograph table, Campbell pointed out that he saw a photo of Texas players with his Heisman, and he offered his own suggestion with a smile.

"Why don't you just go on ahead and get you one for yourself?" Campbell said.

Williams thinks it's time, too, which is why he thought it was important to find Robinson before Saturday's game.

"When I came up to him, I said, 'I'm here for you.' Meaning, yeah, the field was being named after me, but the reason I was showing up at the gate was because I was here to see him," Williams said. "I just think he's got that special once-in-a-generation kind of talent. They say a generation lasts about 20 years. There's about 20 years between Earl's Heisman and mine. And it's been a little over 20 years since mine. It's time for Texas to have that once-in-a-generation type of player."

The two men whose names grace the turf under Robinson's cleats believe, which makes Robinson that much more driven to leave his own mark.

"On the field that's named after them, I can try to do the same thing for my legacy," Robinson said. "Maybe one day, I can join them with my name on that stadium."

 

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shadow_operative

shadow_operative 15932

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Bijan is special special. he's a bigger Eric Metcalf, which is insane. he's the type of player who influences HS kids to want to come play for Texas. that's a different level of star player than even guys like Jamaal and Ced. if he stays healthy during his time here, he could be the most important player we've had since the VY/Colt years. i just love the kid, and every time he touches the ball it feels like he could end up in the end zone. special, special player.

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shadow_operative

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2 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Tom Herman should be put in jail for his misuse of Bijan. Bijan should be getting massive NIL deals. His talent is generational imo.

yeah, but i see Tom's misuse of Bijan the same way i see Shaka's unfathomable loss to Abilene Christian- it's what ultimately got Herman/Shaka fired. as egregious and just mind numbingly unbelievable as both cases are, thank god that they did happen, because i do not even want to imagine what this fall would be like if Dumb and Dumber were still coaching here. 

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Valmy77

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1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

yeah, but i see Tom's misuse of Bijan the same way i see Shaka's unfathomable loss to Abilene Christian- it's what ultimately got Herman/Shaka fired. as egregious and just mind numbingly unbelievable as both cases are, thank god that they did happen, because i do not even want to imagine what this fall would be like if Dumb and Dumber were still coaching here. 

The Tom Herman offense was to have Sam Ehlinger do everything. Not much room for Bijan in such a carefully crafted strategic system.

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Zeus

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On 9/5/2021 at 10:51 AM, cdain3 said:
On 9/4/2021 at 5:39 PM, TreatyOak said:
Spencer-Rattler.jpg

Never in my life seen a more punchable face.....

Did you see his Instagram when he was in HS?

Damn I just looked he deleted all the weird drug dealer with hoes looking ones and kept all the football ones. All with him doing the horns down lolol

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Zeus

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1 hour ago, Spider2YBanana said:

Bijan is the most special RB I've personally seen since Adrian Peterson. He's just that good. That's not hyperbole, either. He's THAT kind of special. He's of course not AP, but he's special in that kind of way. Just insanely talented. 

AP had the raw power.

Bijan has shiftiness, vision, quickness that AP didn't have but with the tackle breaking ability. Very fun to watch. Sometimes I just wish he would go down to avoid taking extra hits but he is really good at shaking guys and kind of rolling forward with the hits. It's like a boxer who is loose being able to take a blow better than one who is stiff. 

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Helobious

Helobious 9453

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I don’t know about that, AP pretty much had everything except any intelligence. He was one of a kind. Not sure why it matters anyway, Bijan is great in his own right. Wish he would get more carries at the goal line though. Reminds me of when Malcolm Brown would carry the offense down the field & then Mack would let Bergeron fall into the end zone to finish the drive.

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Dnaguy

Dnaguy 11964

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What's weird to me is how Bijan doesn't actually look fast when he runs.

Dude just looks smooth and always seems to be running at full speed. It's a weird trick on your eyes because it's almost like he never accelerates.

Add to that he keeps his center of gravity so low, that it adds to this perception.

Fucking dude looks like he has a cheat code that lets him run with permanent turbo or something without the need to tap the button (sorry, but I haven't played video games in like 15 years. Is turbo / acceleration still a thing?).

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Funk Doctor Spock

Funk Doctor Spock 12198

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13 hours ago, Zeus said:

AP had the raw power.

Bijan has shiftiness, vision, quickness that AP didn't have but with the tackle breaking ability. Very fun to watch. Sometimes I just wish he would go down to avoid taking extra hits but he is really good at shaking guys and kind of rolling forward with the hits. It's like a boxer who is loose being able to take a blow better than one who is stiff. 

Same, bro. I always wince when he takes those extra hits, but dude just keeps going. And he shows why he doesn't go down because we've seen him get out of the tackles time and time again. And yeah, AP had that raw power that you just don't ever see. They're both just supernatural and unreal

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The Ace of Aces

The Ace of Aces 5183

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21 hours ago, Spider2YBanana said:

Bijan is the most special RB I've personally seen since Adrian Peterson. He's just that good. That's not hyperbole, either. He's THAT kind of special. He's of course not AP, but he's special in that kind of way. Just insanely talented. 

He’s Ricky-esque with better hands. That’s sacrilege but I see it. 

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UT_OB1

UT_OB1 2223

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15 minutes ago, DanTheHorn said:

So does NIL money bring up the possibility of players staying longer in college if they make more via NIL than risking being a 3rd round pick?

I was thinking about that the other day. Most people don’t understand how poor some of these kids grew up, and they just can’t understand how these kids could leave a free degree for “just” 3rd round money. Even if they miss the NFL, there are a lot of other leagues out there now (saw where Bergeron was kicking ass in some random European league 2 years ago).  Of course, a lot of these kids take flyers on 3-5 round evils and go undrafted.  We’re never going to be able to pay enough money to keep VY here when he’s a top 3 pick, but we could keep a lot really talented players for their Sr years. 

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Funk Doctor Spock

Funk Doctor Spock 12198

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5 hours ago, Gidnik said:

ricky was no where near as good as bijan out of the backfield. 

 

Ricky was a freak, bro. Go watch some vids on him and refresh your memory. I had to do the same. He was every bit as great as the legend is told. We're just now seeing greatness like that again because it's been so long. 

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