Tony Robinson appreciation thread

#76
#76
Tony Robinson was freakishly talented, but he wasn't very bright, even on the football field. He WASN'T able to read defenses...but he didn't really have to. Defenses were not very complicated in the 1980's (compared to college defenses today) and UT had Tim McGee, Joey Clinkscales and Eric Swanson running wild through basic secondaries.

The most complicated defensive scheme in college football in 1985 was being employed by none other than our own UT Vols. (Ask Vinny Testaverde.)

Tony's deep ball was definitely a thing of beauty, though. That rascal could run, too. However, it is very telling that Coach Majors was able to plug Daryl Dickey in at QB when Tony went down and the Vols didn't lose a game the rest of the season.
 
#77
#77
TommyOler said:
The most complicated defensive scheme in college football in 1985 was being employed by none other than our own UT Vols. (Ask Vinny Testaverde.)

Tony's deep ball was definitely a thing of beauty, though. That rascal could run, too. However, it is very telling that Coach Majors was able to plug Daryl Dickey in at QB when Tony went down and the Vols didn't lose a game the rest of the season.
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All Daryl had to do was not mess anything up. Johnny didn't seem to have any confidence at all in Dickey to begin with. In his first start of the '85 season, he called an incredibly conservative game against Georgia Tech, which had a tough-as-nails defense led by Pat Swilling. He didn't let Daryl do anything until the fourth quarter, and luckily he (and Carlos Reveiz, who hit two very long field goals) did enough to salvage a 6-6 tie. After that, they let him play.

He only threw one bad pass all that season, and that was the first one he threw, against Alabama. The only interception he threw was in the Sugar Bowl, and that was a mis-run route by the receiver, long after we'd blown them out. Our receivers were so good, they'd get open, even though Daryl didn't have any kind of throwing arm. But he understood that and didn't attempt throws he couldn't make.

The defenses we ran in '85 were pretty complex even by today's standards. As far as Vinny goes, Joe Paterno supposedly called his old friend Johnny Majors a year later, before his date with Vinny for the national championship, to see what we had done in the Sugar Bowl. Penn State went on to intercept him five times that night.
 
#78
#78
I didn't understand why he didn't make the skins team. Maybe the history of drug use, was the reason they cut him, but it seemed if someone had given him an opportunity he could have played in the NFL.

The other thing with him, he was one of the skinniest QB's I can remember. Maybe thought he would get hurt.
 
#79
#79
This is making me sad. I can still picture him running down the field--those skinny legs.
I remember seeing TR in the parking lot after a game later in the season. He was alone, on crutches, and just looked lost. He was on the periphery, his back toward the crowd of people returning to their cars, and he appeared to be staring at the stadium. Someone called out, "Hey, Tony!--we miss you." It was like it brought him back from some place and he turned toward those of us who had not forgotten about him and broke into the most brilliant smile. Without football he was lost and it showed. I will never forget his flash of brilliance as a VOL or that smile.
 
#80
#80
I shook Tony's hand after the Vols beat Ga Tech in '84 on a late-game field goal. We were basically the same age and his hand was HUGE--it swallowed mine.

Like so many others have said--a great talent, amazing arm, incredible touch, and a very, very sad story...
 
#81
#81
I know if you have reviewed any of the VCR tapes or seen the DVDs you will remember the way TR held the football to throw it because of his long fingers and huge hand. I believe it was the index finger next to the thumb that rested on the nose tip of the football. Odd but very effective for him. I saw him play ND in a freshman game and lite them up like Auburn. Knew he was special.
 
#83
#83
jsc1973 said:
Just like they "decimated" Miami that year, I presume?

Nobody was playing as well as Tennessee was at the end of the 1985 season. Including Oklahoma, a team that didn't have a freaking clue how to defend against any team that didn't run the ball 90 percent of the time. If we had played Oklahoma, we would have torched their defense the same way we did Auburn's, for the same reasons. Maybe they outscore us, but I'd take Ken Donahue in '85 over whoever was calling OU's plays that season.
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I really don't like the "who's the hottest at season's end" arguement. It reminds me too much of the 24/7 UGA lovefest that concluded the 2007 season.

The man that was calling plays for Oklahoma that year? Jim "stop throwing the ball on my D please" Donnan

jsc1973 said:
Miami had more talent on its roster in '85 than anyone else, and it wasn't even close. I have a copy of the Sugar Bowl program, and I looked at the Miami roster once. It looks like the roster of an NFL team. They had guys that couldn't get on the field who later played on Sundays for years. There's no reason we should have been better than them at all, let alone 35-7 better...but we were. Would have been 35-zip if they hadn't fooled us with the fake punt at the start.
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Yeah. Danny Stubbs, 'Fredo Roberts, Winston Moss, Brett Periman, and Tolbert Bain are some of the ones most people overlook from that team. Not to mention a 22 year NFL veteran in punter Jeff Feagles.

jsc1973 said:
Our problem in 1984 was an inexperienced defensive line. Reggie White had carried the D-line in '83, but when he graduated, we had big problems in '84. The '85 line was more experienced, and the DBs and linebackers could play with anybody. A few of them were still around in '87, when we had another team play over its heads and won 10 games.
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Losing Mark Studaway and Johnny Williams was also detrimental to that '84 defense.

As much as I hate to say it, we should have won 8+ ball games from '86 to '91. Majors recruited very well when filling the rosters for those years.
 
#84
#84
Dickey, is one of our more under appreciated quarterbacks. He lacked the arm that Tony and Peyton have, but was the epitome of a player who knew his own limitations and always played within himself.
 
#85
#85
I wouldn't call him under-appreciated. Anyone who remembers 1985 appreciates him for keeping our season on track. He had some huge shoes to fill. Tony Robinson might have won the Heisman in 1985 if he'd led us to the SEC title. He was just beginning to get a groundswell for his candidacy when he got hurt. Remember that Bo Jackson, as great a players as he was, basically won it by default, and Tony outplayed him head-to-head.

That's what Daryl Dickey had to replace. His main task was just not to mess things up, but no one in the world could have expected him to play as well as he did.

Daryl is also, as far as I know, the only UT quarterback in history who never lost a game he started. His first two career starts were ties (Army in '84, Georgia Tech in '85), and then he won his last six.
 
#86
#86
crnanancy said:
This is making me sad. I can still picture him running down the field--those skinny legs.
I remember seeing TR in the parking lot after a game later in the season. He was alone, on crutches, and just looked lost. He was on the periphery, his back toward the crowd of people returning to their cars, and he appeared to be staring at the stadium. Someone called out, "Hey, Tony!--we miss you." It was like it brought him back from some place and he turned toward those of us who had not forgotten about him and broke into the most brilliant smile. Without football he was lost and it showed. I will never forget his flash of brilliance as a VOL or that smile.
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I have always contended that TR had more raw talent than any QB we ever had. Watched him in (either an O&W game or Fresh game, my old mind not what it use to be) throw a pass on the run 70 yrds, right on target, never saw him do it in a game, but the man was certainly something to watch.
 
#88
#88
Besides Peyton, Tony probably had the best touch of any quarterback that we've had over the last 30 years. It seemed that he never was quite the same after the knee blowout. And the taste for the hard drugs has steered many careers into the ditch.
 
#89
#89
Vision1966 said:
Simply the most talented QB ever to play on the hill. Never saw a QB on any level throw a better long ball but unlike most strong armed QB's, had such a soft touch on short passes. Could run when he had to but it was his arm that could kill you. Like many great qb's his biggest problem was trying to do too much. Only QB we had that i felt like could beat the other team by himself.
That redskin article was wrong. Was not caught on a traffic stop with a brick of coke. His roommate Cooper had been selling to undercover agents, the agents kept telling him to get tony there so that his wife could meet him. After numerous attempts, tony was present at a buy. Not saying Tony was pure as the driven snow on this but he gets a worse rap than what he should. The asst DA made his career on that case. He went on to bigger and better things.
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Attending the Auburn and Bama games in '85, we knew UT had a GREAT QB. So far as anyone knew, he had no drug problem until his leg was destroyed by Bennett. The story, as we heard it at the time, was as above, with his roommate Cooper heavily involved. Regardless, I will forever have great memories of tony Robinson. I grew up in H'sv and was a couple years behind Condredge. What doors these two guys opened - eventually leading us to a NC that even good 'ol Peyton couldn't. I can assure you the Lord still roots for him
 
#91
#91
Seem to remember a story where his son, who has had little to no contact with his dad, played for UT Martin.
 
#92
#92
T-Rob was a friend of mine when I was in school. Never the less, he may been the most physically talented QB to ever play for the Vols. He let drugs control his life.
 
#93
#93
VOLnMiami said:
:lolabove: Follow your own advice...He WAS and still IS a drug addict who embarrassed himself and UT...Anyone who ever would or could take up for him only makes themselves look ridiculous...They are the same people who defend Jamal Lewis and say "Oh even tho he sold cocaine and did jail time he was one hell of a great player for UT"...I wish none of those guys were ever associated with UT...There's your dose of reality.
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Jamal never sold cocaine. Before you start trashing a person, you should at least get your info straight.
 
#94
#94
Robinson was amazing. The saddest part of the story is that every time I hear his name, I think of a joke that was circulating about where he would be drafted:

Man: So, who do you think will draft Tony Robinson?
2nd man: The Chicago Bears.
man: Chicago, huh? Why do you think that?
2nd man: Simple. They already have a Refrigerator (Perry). Now all they need is a Coke machine.
(rim shot)


Sad sad deal.
 
#95
#95
Sudden Impact said:
17 10 is not a crap beating. FL was the only loss that hurt. This is the year that UCLA we had down 26 10 with 5 minutes left and they scored twice with 2 2 pt conversions. By the end of the year with DD we were the hottest team in college football.

The GA Tech game was raining and miserable. I think we had to save that tie. Majors never thought outside the box in certain games and became too predictable. We should have beaten GA Tech by 2 touchdowns at least.

Majors always let the Non Conference games go for some strange reason. UCLA, Ga Tech, Wake Forest, and Memphis State were all in the Game that year. All four could have beaten us.

We had a new DC Larry Lacewell that must have performed an exorcism of defensive Demons to transform that team into the defense it became. Lacewell ofter stated that we were not recruiting SEC caliber players and got several boosters riled and upset.

2 years later Doug Matthews was let go or reposition or screwed for an incident and because of Majors dislike for him. Both but that was a hugh loss. It should be noted it was probably the start to the end of Majors career and his antics in practices were not much better than other coaches let go.

There was plenty of blame to go around but everybody was pointing fingers. Lacewell left, Matthew gone and it was a miserable period of nowhere. It took 6 years to get it across.

The only game that T Robinson should have won that he did not was the Flordia Game that year. FL presented several packages that kept him at bay for most of the game. He did manage to put together a 99 yard drive in that game.

Oh well coaching and prep cost us a shot at the national championship that season. An injury was not the only factor but it did contribute.

Had there been a Playoff. We would have won it with DD as QB. This was the first year I wanted the mess of a playoff system placed into affect.
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Sorry to pick but Larry Lacewell was not our defensive coordinator it was Ken Donahue. Lacewell coached here in 90-91 before going to the Cowboys. Also it wasn't raining during the game with Ga. Tech it was just Dickey's first game starting after T. Rob's injury and we had a very conservative game plan. Tech's Ted Roof had an incredible 25 tackles in the game. Carlos Reveiz hit field goals from 55 and 51 (with 14 seconds left) to make it a 6-6 tie.
 
#97
#97
Is Tony still alive? If so, where is he? What is he doing? etc


Sorry if that is a dumb question. I have honestly lost out on him over the years.
 
#98
#98
Jackson_Harris said:
Is Tony still alive? If so, where is he? What is he doing? etc


Sorry if that is a dumb question. I have honestly lost out on him over the years.
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Died of a heart attack I believe...joe gillam died of a heart..

Last I heard he had gotten out of prison
 
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#100
#100
I got the two confused...Joe Gillam died of a heart attack...Tony R was released from prison a while back. For some reason think he went back to prison and got out the second time...parts unknown....
 
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