INDIANAPOLIS– Demeioun Robinson had a successful two-year career at Penn State, but he won’t hear his name called at any point during this spring’s NFL Draft.
But Chop Robinson will.
Chop Robinson and Demeioun Robinson are similar to almost a disturbing level.
They both look alike and are the same height and weight. They both play football and… ok, they are the same person.
“Chop” is Robinson’s nickname. The story goes that Robinson– who was 16 pounds when he was born– got the nickname “pork chop” from his parents. When Robinson got a little older, he decided he didn’t like the “pork” part of the nickname, but kept the “Chop” part. So “Chop Robinson” became his most recognized name, and it’s a name that everybody following this year’s NFL Draft closely knows.
But what many don’t know is that Robinson had another nickname, one that his nine siblings (five brothers, four sisters) enjoy calling him.
“My household name is ‘Plump,” Robinson revealed to reporters Wednesday at his NFL Combine press conference.
Imagine Roger Godell saying the name “Plump Robinson?”
That doesn’t sound too good.
But “Chop” does sound good, and he’s quite good at what he does, enough to where many project him to be a first-round pick.
Robinson only played two seasons at Penn State, transferring over after a season at Maryland. He made the most of his relatively brief stay in Happy Valley. Robinson ended his Penn State career with 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and was an All-American this past season.
So what does the 6-foot-3, 255-pounder do well?
“I’d definitely say just my speed,” Robinson said, “versatility, dropping into coverage and stuff like that. So that’s the main thing.”
Robinson is quite quick and hopes to show that by running a 4.4 or better at his workout Thursday afternoon.
There’s another attribute Robinson sees as one of the best parts of his game.
“I’d definitely say my bend,” Robinson said. “Being able to dip my shoulder not using my hands and still being able to use my speed coming around the corner. So I’d say I’m definitely best with that.”
Because he was a junior upon declaring for the Draft, Robinson didn’t compete in the Senior Bowl or East-West Shrine Bowl.
But he still stayed plenty productive over the offseason, working on things he feels he doesn’t do as well.
“I’ve been trying to work on my hands and build muscle memory,” Robinson said. “I feel like I was way more consistent last year using my hands instead of just relying on my speed. So I’ve been working on that.”
Robinson isn’t the only former PSU defensive end who got invited to the Combine.
Adisa Isaac is here, too.
“He’s a great player,” Robinson said. “Shows up every day, works hard, he teaches all the young guys. He leads by example. He’s also vocal. Adisa Isaac is a great player.”
Being in the same position room as Isaac– who some feel could sneak into the first round after a strong Senior Bowl showing– gave Robinson some solid competition within the defensive line room.
“Every day in practice when we’d do our drills,” Robinson said, “we’d both be in front of the line, trying to beat each other. Sometimes he’ll beat me, I’ll beat him, so it was back and forth. We were making each other better.”
Of course, competition is something Robinson’s known all his life, not just because of football, but also because, well, he had nine siblings and was the third youngest, at that.
“It’s crazy,” Robinson said. “All your older siblings are trying to bully you when you’re younger. It definitely shaped me into the man that I am today.”
So who was Chop’s favorite sibling?
“All of them,” he said.
So far, Robinson’s met with teams such as the Packers, Falcons, Bengals, Cardinals and Bears. He said he was meeting with the Texans sometime after his press conference.
Robinson is on his way to living his dream of being drafted, but this week gives him a chance to live another dream.
“I’ve been watching this since I was a kid, since I fell in love with football,” he said. “But I know I have so much unfinished business, so I’m just taking each day one day at a time and am ready to compete.”
