Brian Robinson Jr. (born March 22, 1999) is 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 with ...

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 American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

for the

Washington Commanders 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) E ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, where he was two-time CFP national champion before being selected by the Commanders in the third round of the

2022 NFL Draft The 2022 NFL Draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The first round was held on Thursday, April 28, and w ...

. Prior to the start of his rookie season, Robinson was shot twice during an

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

after leaving a restaurant and returned to the team less than two months later.

Early life and high school

Robinson Jr. was born on March 22, 1999, in

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

. He attended Hillcrest High School, where he rushed for 990 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior and was named second team Class 6A All-State. Robinson was rated a four-star recruit and committed to play at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

College career

In his collegiate debut against Vanderbilt, Robinson scored his first collegiate rushing touchdown in the 59–0 victory. As a freshman, Robinson rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns as a reserve player behind

Najee Harris Najee Jerome Harris (born March 9, 1998) is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2021 ...

and

Josh Jacobs Joshua Jacobs (born February 11, 1998) is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted by the Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NFL ...

as Alabama went on to win the 2018 CFP National Championship Game. In the 2018 season, Robinson carved out a role as Alabama's fourth running back. Robinson gained 272 yards and two touchdowns on 63 carries in his sophomore season. In the 2019 season, Robinson became Alabama's second running back, only behind

. As a junior, Robinson rushed 96 times for 441 yards and five rushing touchdowns while catching 11 passes for 124 receiving yards. In the 2020 season, Robinson continued to be the second running back to Harris. Alabama won their second national title during his time there. He totaled 91 carries for 483 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Following Harris leaving for the NFL Draft, Robinson finally became Alabama's featured back as a fifth-year senior in 2021. Though hampered by injuries, Robinson roughly equaled his output of the previous four years, leading the SEC in carries and touchdowns. He dominated the Alabama backfield in terms of production. On October 2, against Ole Miss, he had 36 carries for 171 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in the 42–21 victory. In the following game against

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

, he had 207 scrimmage yards in the 41–38 loss. In the next game against

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univers ...

, he had 141 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns in the 49–9 victory. In the next game, against

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

in the

Third Saturday in October The Third Saturday in October is the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. The respect ...

, he had 26 carries for 107 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 52–24 victory. He was named the

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic after rushing for 204 yards, a school record for a bowl game. He finished the 2021 season with 271 carries for 1,343 rushing yards, and 14 rushing touchdowns to go along with 35 receptions for 296 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Professional career

Robinson was selected by the

in the third round (98th overall) of the

, as one of three picks the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

had traded to acquire the pick they used to draft

Chris Olave Christian Josiah Olave ( ; born June 27, 2000) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he holds the school record of most career to ...

. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 18, 2022. On August 28, 2022, Robinson was shot in the knee and glute during an

involving two men after leaving a restaurant in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington, D.C. shortly before 6p.m. EDT. He suffered no life-threatening damage and was discharged from

MedStar Washington Hospital Center MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the largest private hospital in Washington, D.C. A member of MedStar Health, the not-for-profit Hospital Center is licensed for 926 beds. Health services in primary, secondary and tertiary care are offered t ...

the following day. Robinson missed the first four games of the season before making his NFL debut in Week 5 against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, where he rushed nine times for 22 yards. Robinson's first career touchdown came the following week against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

, a game-winner in the fourth quarter of a Commanders victory. He recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game in a Week 12 win over the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

. He was named the 2022 Inspiration of the Year by ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

'' and was voted Washington's

Ed Block Courage Award The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to a player from each team in the National Football League (NFL) who are voted for by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a ...

by his teammates.

References

External links

*
Washington Commanders bio

Alabama Crimson Tide bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson Jr., Brian 1999 births Living people American football running backs Alabama Crimson Tide football players Washington Commanders players Sportspeople from Tuscaloosa, Alabama Players of American football from Alabama African-American players of American football 21st-century African-American sportspeople American shooting survivors Ed Block Courage Award recipients