I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s incredible! Anything he wants to do, he does!
-The Natural
The above quote is from “The Natural” one of the best baseball movies ever made. What does a baseball movie have to do with Michigan QB Denard Robinson? Well, the last several weeks this quote comes to mind when I watch him play.
I’ve seen some remarkable athletes perform their magic on the gridiron. Sometimes it’s a once in a million event like Jon Vaughn torching USC for 288 yards or Tshimanga Biakabatuka rolling for for 313 yards over Ohio State. Other times it’s an athlete announcing their presence with an overwhelming performance like Donovan McNabb, Troy Smith, Braylon Edwards or more recently Dennis Dixon. Rarer still are the Heisman winning seasons we’ve seen from the likes of Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.
We don’t know how far Denard Robinson is going go. College careers are fragile. In every game this season we’ve seen “Shoelace” get dinged up.
The more he runs, the greater the chance of injury.
Lost in the discussion of the 3-3-5 defense, and whether this year’s team is better than last year’s team is that Denard Robinson is putting on a display the likes of which we will never see again.
Roy Hobbs, the tragic hero of The Natural, bemoans the fact that he wasn’t play long enough to “break all records” and be recognized as “the greatest hitter who every played the game.” He’s comforted by impact he had on the people who did see him play.
I don’t know know if Denard Robinson is going to win the Heisman trophy.
I don’t know if the Wolverines are going to beat the Spartans on Saturday.
What I do know is I’m not going miss one second of any game that Denard Robinson plays in. He is most amazing football player I’ve ever seen. Whether he’s running 75 yards for a TD, throwing 60 yards for a TD, or engineering a last minute game winning drive.
Robinson is the rare player who shuns the spotlight, puts the team first, and exemplifies the attitude that Coach Rodriguez tries to instill in his players, “…of staying humble and hungry.” Last season as an backup he was supportive of his teammates and worked hard to improve his game. When backup QBs Tate Forcier and Devin Gardner played well this season Denard was their biggest cheerleader on the sidelines and he to congratulate and encourage as they came of the field.
Denard Robinson’s performances are making an impact that will be felt for years to come. Young football players on playgrounds across the country are insisting that his trademark untied shoelaces make them faster and are imitating his moves.
The last two seasons have embittered many Wolverine fans and many remain skeptical about whether the team has finally turned things around.
But it would be a mistake for fans to discount the performances Denard Robinson has put together so far.
The Denard show is AMAIZING.
Don’t miss it…
