Brian Gale Robison (born April 27, 1983) is a former

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 ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

. He was drafted by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft and played for the team for 11 seasons. In 173 NFL games, he recorded 289 tackles, 60 sacks and one touchdown. 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 ...

for the

Texas Longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

. While at college, he also participated in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, competing in the

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

; in 2006, his senior year, he finished in second place in the shot put competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

High school career

Robison attended Splendora High School in Splendora, Texas, where he earned All-State honors in both

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

. He was a four-year starter at

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

(freshman) and

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, p ...

(final three years). He registered 66 tackles for loss and 28 sacks in his final three seasons. As a senior, he earned second-team All-State Class 3A and first-team All-District honors, registering 98 tackles, 20 stops behind the line of scrimmage, eight sacks and four pass deflections. He was an honorable mention All-State and first-team All-District selection as a junior after he posted 121 tackles, 14 stops for loss, eight sacks and seven pass break-ups for a defense that allowed only 101 points in 2000. As a sophomore, he had 125 tackles, 32 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 12 sacks, 12 pass deflections and an interception. In addition, he spent some time at

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 ...

, averaging 11 yards per carry and scoring three times, and tight end during his career. Also a standout in track and field, Robison was one of the nation's top discus throwers and shot putters, winning both events at the district, regional and state meets as a senior. He still holds the Texas high school record in the

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disk (mathematics), disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an classical antiqui ...

at . He also played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

(forward) for four years and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

(pitcher) for two years and was an honor roll student, being named a four-year Academic All-District selection, and was second-team Academic All-State as a senior. Robison had his number 40 jersey retired by Splendora High School in September 2004.

College career

Robison played for the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

. He was part of a Texas recruiting class which contained future NFL players

Rodrique Wright Rodrique Charles Wright (born July 31, 1984) is an American former college and professional football player who currently serves as defensive end coach for the University of Miami football team. He was a defensive end in the National Football Lea ...

Justin Blalock Justin Christopher Blalock (born December 20, 1983) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas at A ...

Aaron Ross Aaron Jermaine Ross (born September 15, 1982) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants, twice over t ...

Kasey Studdard Kasey Studdard (born July 1, 1984) is a former American football offensive guard who played in the National Football League (NFL). The son of former Denver Broncos tackle Dave Studdard, he was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round (183rd overa ...

Lyle Sendlein Lyle Sendlein (born March 16, 1984) is a former American football center. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas. Early years Coached by Ron Estabrook at Chaparral High Sch ...

, David Thomas,

Selvin Young Selvin Young (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Texas. Early years A three-year starter at Jersey Village High ...

, and

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...

. This class has been cited as one of the strongest college recruiting classes ever. He was a member of their 2005 national championship team. During his career at the University of Texas, Robison was ranked 12th in school history with 41 tackles for loss. He tied a season record with four blocked kicks in 2003, and had a school-record six blocked kicks in his career. Robison totaled 181 tackles, with 106 solo tackles and 15 sacks. Robison also starred in track and field at Texas, where he competed as a shot putter and posted the seventh-best

mark in Texas history with a 59.69-meter effort. At his campus workout at the University of Texas, he ran 4.67 in the

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

, posted a 470-pound bench press and 345-pound power clean. Robison was a Liberal Arts major, and was on the University of Texas Honor Roll. He earned his degree before being drafted by Minnesota.

Freshman season

Robison redshirted in 2002. In 2003, he played all 13 games at middle linebacker, starting in three of those games. That year, he registered 38 tackles, 22 solo, one sack, and four stops for losses. In addition, he had 14 quarterback rushes and caused one fumble. He also had one deflected pass, and tied a school record with four blocked kicks.

Sophomore season

In Robison's sophomore campaign, he was an honorable mention on the

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(AP) All-

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

. He started all 12 games at right defensive end, and participated on special teams. Robison recorded 48 tackles, 27 solo, 1.5 sacks, and a two-yard interception. He finished second on the team with 14 stops for minus 26 yards, and 18 quarterback pressures. During the 2004 track and field season, he earned a Big 12 title in the shot put in

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 cen ...

Junior season

During the 2005 season, Robison started in 12 games at right defensive end. He recorded a career-high 58 tackles, 35 solo, and led the team in quarterback sacks with seven. He also had 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Robison was credited with 10 quarterback pressures, four pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. He also blocked one kick and recovered two fumbles. He was named First-team All-Big 12 Conference by ''Austin American-Statesman'', adding Second-team honors from the ''Dallas Morning News'', ''Houston Chronicle'', and ''Fort-Worth Star Telegram'' and Honorable Mention from the leagues coaches and Associated Press.

Senior season

In Robison's final season at Texas, he was Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference, and battled through a rash of injuries, but still managed to start in 10 of 12 games at right defensive end. Robison suffered a deep right knee and patella tendon bruise, and a quadriceps muscle strain, that sat him out for two games. Even with all his injuries, he still managed to get 37 tackles, 22 solo, 5.5 sacks, and nine stops for loss. He also added 15 quarterback hurries, three deflected passes and a blocked kick. In track and field, Robison finished second in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the

with a career-best throw of 20.25 meters. His best

mark in college was 59.69 meters, which ranks seventh in UT history.

Statistics

Professional career

2007 NFL Combine

Minnesota Vikings

2007 season

Robison was drafted by the

in the fourth round (102nd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. He was one of seven Longhorns selected by professional football teams, with the others being Michael Griffin (19th overall) and

(20th overall) in the first round,

(39th overall) and

Tim Crowder Timothy C. Crowder (born June 30, 1985) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas. Crowder has also played for the Tampa Bay ...

(56th overall) in the second,

Tarell Brown Tarell Lameek Brown (born January 6, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Texas. High school career ...

in the fifth (number 147th overall) and

in the sixth (number 183rd overall). Robison appeared in all 16 games of his rookie season and made five starts at right defensive end. In his professional debut against 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 ...

in the season opener game, he notched a pair of sacks on quarterback

Joey Harrington John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he wa ...

. In a week 4 game against the undefeated

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

, Robison had five tackles and a sack of

Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...

, who became the NFL's all-time leader in career touchdown passes during the game. His sack made him the last Vikings player to sack Favre. In the Vikings' 29–22 win over the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

in week 11, he was credited with a sack and a forced fumble. Robison earned All-Rookie honors after finishing his rookie campaign with 26 total tackles (20 of them solo), 4.5 sacks that ranked third among rookies and a forced fumble.

2008 season

With

Jared Allen Jared Scot Allen (born April 3, 1982) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Idaho State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth ...

established as the starter at the right defensive end spot, Robison saw action in 15 games as his primary backup. He started in place of injured left defensive end Ray Edwards in the Wild Card Playoff game against 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 plays ...

on January 4, 2009, and was credited with a team-best 7 quarterback hurries while also registering 2 solo tackles and a tackle for a loss. In week 15, he notched his second sack and first forced fumble of the year when he knocked the ball free from

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

in the win at the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

. Robison had 14 tackles (7 solo), 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in his second season.

2009 season

Robison competed in the shot put during the 2009 off-season, finishing first at a meet at the

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

. His throw of took first place by more than 5 feet at the Tomcat Twilight. In his third season, Robison played in all 16 games and both playoff contests. He posted sacks in 3 of the final 4 regular season games (). In the Vikings' 30–23 win against the

, he was credited with 1.5 of the 8.0 sacks the team had on

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

, a mark that was one sack shy of the Vikings team record in a game. Robison had a career-low 10 tackles on the season but also tied a then career-best with 4.5 sacks, the same mark he had his rookie year and ranked fourth on the team with 13 quarterback hurries.

2010 season

Robison again played in all 16 games for a Vikings defense that ranked in the top-10 defenses in the NFL for the third straight season. He only started a pair of games in place of Ray Edwards, against the Bills on December 5 and the Giants the following week. He had two sacks on the year, with the first coming in week 3 against

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

when he caught

Shaun Hill Shaun Christopher Hill (born January 9, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college fo ...

. After replacing Edwards in the second half of the game at Washington on November 28, he notched a sack of

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...

in the Vikings' 17–13 win over the Redskins. The following week, he had three tackles and recovered a pair of fumbles against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. Robison posted 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks, and recovered two fumbles as the Vikings finished the season with a 6–10 record.

2011 season

Following the departure of Ray Edwards in 2011, Robison became a full-time starter and had a break-out year, starting all 16 games at left defensive end and recording then career-highs in tackles with 44, sacks with 8.0 that ranked second on the team behind

(who had a league-best 22.0) and forced fumbles with 3. He was part of a Vikings' defensive line that produced 40.5 of the team's 50 sacks, which tied for the NFL lead and the third-most in team history. He started the season fast with 4.5 sacks in the opening 5 games, but his season ended up being best remembered for kicking Packers

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

T. J. Lang Thomas John "T. J." Lang (born September 20, 1987) is a former American football guard. He played college football at Eastern Michigan and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Lang was a member of the ...

in the

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...

in the week 7 game during a

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

try. Robison was fined $20,000 for the kick.

2012 season

Robison again spent his second season as full-time starter at left defensive end opposite Jared Allen. He started all 15 games he played in the regular season and started the Wild Card playoff game against the Packers. He was credited with three passes defended against 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) NFC South, South divisio ...

in week 6. On October 31, he recorded nine tackles, a forced fumble and a career-best 3.5 sacks as the Vikings defense notched seven sacks in the 21–14 win over the

in week 7. Robison's 8.5 sacks ranked second on the team again behind Jared Allen and he posted a career-high 7 passes defensed, tied for the second-most by a defensive lineman in a season in team history. He also ranked tied for second on the team with three forced fumbles.

2013 season

Robison started all 16 games for the second time in his career. As one of the most unknown pass-rushers in the league, he earned a spot on ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''s All-Joe Team, honoring the unsung players in the NFL. He led team with 40 quarterback hurries and notched career-highs with 14 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks that ranked second on the team. He had sacks in 5 consecutive games that started in week 11 at Seattle and ended against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 15. In the week 2 loss at 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 ...

, he scored his first career touchdown when he recovered a fumble from

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

which was forced by

and returned it 61 yards. The play was the third-longest fumble recovery by a Vikings defensive lineman.

2014 season

Robison started all 16 games for the third time in his career and tallied 4.5 sacks on the year, with all of those coming in an 8-week span. He split a sack of Lions

Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...

in week 6, brought down

Mike Glennon Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...

at Tampa Bay in the 19–13 overtime win, leveled Redskins'

Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RG3 and RGIII, is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected second overa ...

the following week, chased down

in week 12 and met Jets rookie quarterback

Geno Smith Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl game ...

in the backfield on December 7. Robison compiled 24 tackles on the season and set a career-high with 45 quarterback pressures, good for second on the team.

2015 season

In 2015, Robison completed his fifth season as a full-time starter at left defensive end, opening every game, including the wildcard playoff game. He notched 4.0 sacks in the final five regular season games as the team went on a three-game win streak to end the season 11–5 and clinch the

NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and tough ri ...

title for the first time since 2009. During the season, he sacked both Manning brothers, Peyton in week 4 and Eli in week 15. In the Wildcard playoff heart-breaking loss to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

, he had 2.0 sacks of

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is widely regarded ...

. Robison finished his ninth year in the league with 34 tackles, 5 sacks and 4 passes defensed, his most since the 2012 season when he had batted down 7 passes.

2016 season

Robison started at left defensive end the first game of the season at 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 ...

and was credited with two tackles and a pass defended. In week 2 against the

, Robison strip-sacked

from behind in the fourth quarter, causing him to fumble the ball for the second time in a game where Minnesota totaled five sacks for combined losses of 33 yards and forced a career-high three fumbles that helped the Vikings open their new stadium with a win. Against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

in Week 3, Robison had a sack for the second straight week. Robison brought down Texans' quarterback

Brock Osweiler Brock Alan Osweiler (born November 22, 1990) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Arizona State and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the s ...

two times in the Vikings' 31–13 win in Week 5.

2017 season

On March 24, 2017, Robison signed a one-year contract extension with the Vikings through the 2018 season.

2018 season

On September 1, 2018, Robison was released by the Vikings after 11 seasons with the team. On April 24, 2019, Robison announced his retirement from the NFL after signing a one-day contract with the Vikings.

Statistics

References

External links

Minnesota Vikings Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Brian 1983 births Living people People from Montgomery County, Texas Players of American football from Houston American football defensive ends Texas Longhorns football players Minnesota Vikings players