Honorary Cougar’s brave fight makes indelible impact on team
All the talks — about life and fishing, skateboards and shoes — the laughs and even the times they cried will be what Shane Creamer and Chandler Smith remember about Vinny Robins.
Robins was part of the University of Houston football program for only a short time. But he managed to pack a lifetime of memories and leave an indelible mark in just a few weeks.
“He was one of us,” said Creamer, a senior tight end.
Creamer and Smith recalled stories Tuesday as they, along with several teammates, attended the funeral service at Faith Family Church in Baytown for Robins, who signed a national letter of intent to become an “honorary Cougar” less than a month earlier. Robins and UH were connected through Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that pairs chronically ill children with local college teams.
Robins, a 17-year-old senior at Barbers Hill High School, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 15. The cancer went into remission before returning a year later. In June, Robins was told he had a few months to live.
That sent UH on a mission to make the remaining time as memorable as possible for Robins and his family.
“You really never know what type of impact you’ll have on someone,” said Grace Muscarel
lo, UH’s assistant director for football operations. “It’s been one of the most touching experiences ever. It’s truly been impactful.
“It was the perfect match.” Just like for any recruit, UH rolled out the red carpet for Robins’ unofficial visit on July 15. He took a tour of athletic facilities, including TDECU Stadium, participated in a photo shoot, took some reps with the bench press bar and met the entire team. He was presented with a red No. 13 jersey — his favorite number — with his name on back.
“For someone who wasn’t a football player, the connection he made with our guys was far beyond football,” Muscarello said. “He was just an awesome kid and connected deeply (with the team).”
On July 22, Robins signed his national letter of intent during a small ceremony inside TDECU Stadium.
“They chose to be with us in his last few weeks,” Creamer said. “That, to me, means a lot.”
Team IMPACT has paired more than 2,400 kids with 600-plus colleges in 49 states during its 10year existence. Part of the organization’s slogan is: “No child should be sidelined by sickness.” In most cases, schools generally have a minimum two-year relationship with the child. Robins passed away on Aug. 10, nearly two months to the day he was matched with UH.
“What we learned about Vinny and his family is that they really needed a lot of love and support in an incredibly difficult time,” said Lynn LaRocca, a senior case manager at Team IMPACT. “They also needed a team that was brave enough to forge through this grief-filled period of time. Chandler, Shane and Grace really spearheaded this and said, “We’re all in.’ ”
Creamer and Smith spent time with Robins, visiting his home and when he was a patient at Texas Children’s Hospital. They shared stories and told jokes. They laughed. They cried together. Robins showed them his skateboards, his shoe collection and the hole he punched in his bedroom wall.
They went out for chicken wings and chili cheese fries. Robins told them he planned to attend UH after high school. After playing wide receiver in middle school, Robins said he felt his calling was “to be on the offensive side.”
They drew inspiration from Robins’ fight, to not only beat cancer once but tackle it a second time.
“His attitude never stopped at death. He was always talking about life after cancer,” Creamer said. “He definitely had that fight in him all the way to the end.”
Smith, a senior running back, said Robins was like a “puzzle piece that fit right in.”
“You would have thought we had been lifelong friends,” Smith said.
The first time Creamer and Smith visited Robins at his home, they described the daily grind and workouts that come with being a college football player.
Robins looked at the two players with a smirk.
“Oh, I know, I used to be swole, bro, before cancer. I know what it’s like to grind in the gym,” Creamer recalled Robins telling them.
Robins pulled out his phone and showed them a photo.
“He was actually very, very built,” Creamer said. “That was funny for him to let us ramble on. He knew exactly where we were coming from.”
Before practice on Aug. 10, Creamer and Smith simultaneously received a text message from Robins’ mother, Jackie. It read: “He is free” and had his time of death at 5:41 a.m. The team gathered for a prayer and a moment of silence at the end of practice.
The Robins family reserved the front row for Vinny’s UH teammates — all dressed in school polo shirts — at Tuesday’s funeral. Front and center, among family photos, flowers, a skateboard and shoes, was Robins’ No. 13 jersey, his NLI and a framed photo of Robins autographed by the whole team.
“Always my bro bud!” one message said. “Stay strong.” “Keep fighting.” “We love you.”
The program included a laminated ticket with Robins, arms crossed with a huge smile, in his jersey. “Enter Gate: Heaven” was printed beneath the photo.
“To lose a member of this team and family hurts a lot,” Smith said. “He’s definitely a Cougar at heart.”