With only a few weeks remaining until his final season of high school football, Michael Robinson had plenty to look forward to.
The wide receiver – who is a team captain – was third on his Covington Catholic team in both regular-season receptions (22) and receiving yards (240) as a junior in 2008, and he was the top returning pass catcher in both categories.
And new coach Dave Wirth was in the process of converting the Colonels into a passing-oriented team, so Robinson stood to play a major role in the CovCath offense.
But during a 7-on-7 drill, an event happened that would change his life.
Robinson ran a 15-yard route, caught the ball and was pushed down by a defending cornerback. He fell awkwardly on the ball and suffered multiple internal injuries.
He did not think he was seriously injured at the time, but Robinson had ruptured his spleen and lacerated his liver and a kidney, and spent three days in intensive care. He was told there was no chance he would play football this season, and being a senior, it looked like his career was likely over.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Robinson said. “I’ve never experienced any serious injury, so I just kind of had to accept it.”
“Being told you just can’t play high school football anymore, it puts a lot of things in perspective, and I think I’ve grown stronger mentally and physically from it. It was a life-changing experience, and an interesting one, too.”
The loss of Robinson also had a major affect on other players.
“When Michael first went down, it really hit the team hard,” senior quarterback Brayden Erpenbeck said. “Really, I wasn’t too concerned about replacing his physical ability – it was a big loss – but not being to play with him was the biggest thing.”
Robinson said he felt the true impact of his diagnosis on opening night. The Colonels began the season at Ryle on Aug. 21, and Robinson walked out of the locker room and looked out at the field, knowing he would not be participating in the upcoming game.
“I just got really emotional,” Robinson said.
But Robinson sought a second opinion and got a better prognosis. He was then hopeful he would be able to join the team for the Colonels’ regular-season stretch run.
And when CovCath played Scott on Oct. 10, Robinson was back on the field. He played sparingly, but he did catch one pass for 14 yards.
“It’s a testament to perseverance, I think it’s a testament to the power of prayer, and to this community,” Wirth said.
Against Woodford County in the Colonels’ playoff opener, he led the team with six catches and finished with a game-high 63 receiving yards.
“I think it was a big boost to the team,” Wirth said. “It was especially a boost to his senior class. His senior class is on its third head coach in four years, which you wouldn’t expect at a program like CovCath.”
Senior Alex Connelly was stellar during Robinson’s absence, and with Robinson’s return, it gives defenses two tall receiving threats to contend with.
Connelly had little varsity receiving experience prior to this season, but at 6-feet-4, he filled a similar roll to Robinson, who is 6-1.
“Having him back, his size, it really helps a lot,” Erpenbeck said. “It’s really another Alex Connelly, and teams are going to have trouble defending that.”
Wirth said it gives him options on offense – CovCath can use Connelly and Robinson on opposite sides of the field, or flood the same side with the six-footers.
“Certainly having Michael back balances the field,” Wirth said. “He’s tall, he’s fast, he’s got good hands. We’ve got a pretty balanced receiving corps – we’ve got five or six guys we can give the ball to at any time.”
Robinson, who appears to be close to 100 percent, certainly has not lost any of his previous intensity. He lit into his team while it was playing poorly in the second half against Woodford County.
Wirth did not coach Robinson in 2008, but he knew before this season that Robinson was an emotional leader. Robinson has proven he still has passion for the game, and now he understands how precious the opportunity to play football is.
“I’m thankful every day that I can play high school football, because I might never play football again, so I take every day seriously,” Robinson said.
|
