Adrian Lynn Robinson, Jr. (November 21, 1989 – May 16, 2015) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

. He played college football at

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

. He also played for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

, San Diego Chargers, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Early years

Adrian Robinson was born on November 21, 1989, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Adrian Robinson Sr, and Terry. Robinson attended Harrisburg High School, where he was named a three star prospect by scout.com. He graduated from Harrisburg High in 2008. Robinson was selected to play in the Big 33 Football Classic during his senior year and voted the most valuable player in that game. He was also a two-time all state honoree at Harrisburg. Robinson received D-1 offers from Temple, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut. Robinson attended Temple University where he majored in communications.

College career

Temple University

In 2008, Robinson played in all twelve games of the college season, including three starts at defensive end. In his sophomore season, Robinson was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned such accolades as 2009 first-team All-MAC honoree, first-team All-MAC by Phil Steele, 2009 MAC Defensive MVP by the Sporting News and ESPN.com's All-Non-Automatic Qualifying Team selection. He was first-team All-MAC again as a junior and senior. He finished his college career with a dominating performance in the 37–15 victory over Wyoming in the 2011 Gildan New Mexico Bowl. It was Temple's first bowl victory since 1979.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

On April 28, 2012, Robinson was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an

Philadelphia Eagles

On August 23, 2013, the Steelers traded Robinson to the

for

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

Felix Jones Felix Jones Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and was drafted by t ...

. He was released by the Eagles on August 30, 2013.

Denver Broncos

On September 1, 2013, the

claimed Robinson. He was waived by the Broncos on October 15, 2013.

San Diego Chargers

On November 12, 2013, the San Diego Chargers signed Robinson. He was released by the Chargers on December 7, 2013.

Washington Redskins

On December 24, 2013, the

signed Robinson. He was waived on August 24, 2014.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Robinson was signed to the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

' practice squad on September 10, 2014. He was released by the Buccaneers on September 23, 2014.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Robinson signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL) on April 27, 2015.

Death

Robinson died on May 16, 2015. The medical examiner later ruled his death as a

suicide by hanging Suicide by hanging is the intentional killing of oneself (suicide) via suspension from an anchor-point such as an overhead beam or hook, by a rope or cord or by jumping from a height with a noose around the neck. Hanging is often considered ...

. Robinson is survived by his daughter, Avery Marie. On October 14, 2015, Robinson's family announced that a diagnosis of

chronic traumatic encephalopathy Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse ...

(CTE) was confirmed through officials at the Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University.

References

External links

Pittsburgh Steelers bioSan Diego Chargers bioTemple Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Adrian 1989 births 2015 deaths Players of American football from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania African-American players of American football American football defensive ends American football linebackers American football players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy Temple Owls football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Philadelphia Eagles players Denver Broncos players San Diego Chargers players Suicides by hanging in Pennsylvania Suicides in Philadelphia Washington Redskins players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players 2015 suicides 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American sportspeople