Robinson helps out with Bucs
Special teams suit former UCF player
On the same day in March that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Brent Grimes and Robert Ayers to their defense and re-signed safety Chris Conte, they made a less heralded roster move.
They brought Josh Robinson close to home.
“I wanted to be able to go back to UCF,’’ said Robinson, a defensive back who played for the Knights from 2009-11 and attended high school near Fort Lauderdale. “I wanted to have my family come up and watch some NFL games live. It was a great opportunity to compete and play football.’’
Robinson has become a key special-teams contributor for the Bucs (1-2), who will host the reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos (3-0) and former Orlando Olympia High QB Trevor Siemian at 4:05 p.m. Sunday. CBS (WKMG-Ch. 6) will televise the game.
“The three qualities that
Page C1 Continued from Josh has that we really like in special teams is, he can run,’’ said Nate Kaczor, Tampa Bay’s specialteams coordinator. “He has a good anchor, which means for a player who doesn’t weigh a lot, he can match up with bigger players and get them stopped.
“[And] he is a competitive player. Special teams require a lot of competitive spirit, because it is a tough deal out there sometimes.’’
Robinson (5-10, 199) plays in all four phases of special teams, whether the Bucs are returning or covering punts and kickoffs. He is a proficient blocker and coverage man.
Robinson also has served as the “gunner,’’ who is split wide on the punting team and engages in hand-to-hand combat with one or two players as he tries to work his way toward the returner.
“It is like no holds barred,’’ said Robinson, 25. “Anything goes. You try your best to try to outrun someone or be strong and out-compete somebody.’’
Said Kaczor: “The most I can equate it to a position is playing receiver, and you are doubled by two guys — not all the time but a lot — and there is no [pass interference]. There are things that guys who are blocking you can do that they could never do to a receiver.’’
Robinson said he played on special teams at UCF and in his first four NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft. His only three kick returns as a pro, netting 61 yards, came during his rookie season.
Now with the Bucs, special teams provide Robinson a chance to play as he tries to move up the defensive depth chart. He is listed behind Alterraun Verner and former UF standout Vernon Hargreaves III at one cornerback spot.
“Whenever you are called upon, you have to be ready and make the best of it,’’ Robinson said.
Russell Shepard, the Bucs’ special-teams captain, said Robinson’s mindset covers a lot of ground on kicks.
“You’ve got to be undeniable,’’ Shepard said. “You’ve got to be a guy who can’t be broken. They’re special teams for a reason. They’re splash plays. You don’t get a lot of them, like you do with offense or defense, so you need guys who are going to put a lot of effort into it for just one play.
“He is one of guys.’’ Now Robinson is back. Close to home. “It is already Year 5 [in the NFL],’’ Robinson said. “It seems like just the other day, I was a rookie, coming out of UCF. Now I am already at five. It is a blessing, and I have enjoyed every second of it.’’ sruiz @orlandosentinel.com