Tony Robinson appreciation thread

#1
The Frozen Shield

The Frozen Shield

Watkins
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
343
Likes
0
#1
I'm watching Auburn at Tennessee from 1985 over on VolsVideos.com and Tony was before my time, but he looks like he was a great QB. I know I could go on Wikipedia and get all the info I would ever need to know about the guy, but I would rather hear from Vol fans that seen him play. What happened that kept him from going to the NFL?

Feel free to elaborate on all things Tony Robinson.
 
#5
#5
Jail and Drug abuse. He played during the strike year as a replacement player, I do believe. Had a perfect touch and an awesome QB got hurt in the Alabama Game and made a hero out of Darrel Dickey. Would have been something special in the pros.
 
#7
#7
had the best arm and touch I ever saw as a Vol QB..... could throw it on the run half the field , and on a rope
 
#10
#10
I was at Legion Field in Birmingham the day he blew out his knee. Probably the most athletically gifted QB I've ever seen at Tennessee. Unfortunately he had a million dollar arm, million dollar legs and a 10 cent brain.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#11
#11
A few trivial things I remember about Tony:

Was the last UT QB to lose to UK. Tried to kill the clock on the last play by throwing it into the stands (no spike rule in those days)

Led UT to two TDs in the last few minutes against Bama in '84 to turn a 27-13 deficit into a 28-27 win. Funny thing is he fumbled just before the second TD but he was ruled down. No replay in those days.

He was the backup to Ed Rubbert on the Redskins during the 3 1987 scab games. Only played in the Dallas game and that was because Rubbert got hurt early in the game. I believe he was playing in a semi pro league in Richmond when Gibbs picked him up for those three games (that part is fuzzy).
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#12
#12
He was the greatest quarterback at that point in UT History IMO. His career was cut short with the injury against Alabama in 1985. He could throw the long ball as good as anyone. UT still had a great season despite losing him 5 or 6 games in. They might have played for a NC that year with Tony at QB.
 
#14
#14
GAVol said:
I was at Legion Field in Birmingham the day he blew out his knee. Probably the most athletically gifted QB I've ever seen at Tennessee. Unfortunately he had a million dollar arm, million dollar legs and a 10 cent brain.
Click to expand...

I don't think he was dumb, at one time he was studying mechanical engineering at UT. He made some bad choices.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#15
#15
I thought this was an interesting post off a redskins message board:
icon1.gif

He was on work release when he played the single game for the Skins replacement team. Ed Rubbert was the skins main QB during the strike season. Rubbert got hurt and Robinson played in the final and most challenging game. Robinson traveled down to Dallas and played the largely intact Cowboys featring Randy White and Tony Dorsett. And he lead the skins to a victory too....

Robinson is the greatest Redskins story ever to my mind. A very sucessful College QB out of Tenn. who was caught with a brick of cocaine under his seat during a traffic stop. Lost his chance at an NFL career and went to jail. Then Charley Caserlly was given the task by GM Bobby Bethard to assemble a strike team in the unlikely event that the NFL players association striked. Casserly made a deal with a local DC judge to sign Robinson out of prison over in Lorton on Friday afternoon and then sign him back into prison Sunday after the games. And the dude goes down and leads us to a victory over Dallas while spoting the Skins to a 5-0 start, and contributing to a super bowl season.

I heard he got out of jail eventually, but had a relapse with drugs. He never played in the NFL again after that single beutiful game.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#18
#18
I'll always remember watching Tony and the Vols against #1 Auburn in '85 at home, SI was there to do a cover story on Bo Jackson but quickly had to change the cover to Tony doing the 'TN Waltz'.
 
#20
#20
I can appreciate what TR did as a UT football player but as a human being he was and is a complete failure who ruined his life when he had it all in the palm of his hands...I have no sympathy for someone like that...He is and always will be an embarrassment to the University of Tennessee.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#21
#21
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#22
#22
What I remember most about T Rob was the fade pass down the side lines. Man he had touch on that pass. Broke my heart about his drug problems.
 
#23
#23
Personally, I still think Robinson was one of the greatest QB's in Tennessee history. Along with Peyton, he could read defenses better and more quickly than anyone I have ever seen. He had a great arm, both for the long ball and for the shorter "touch" pass.

It has been a long time ago, but I think it was Mississippi State that decided to rush everybody at the snap in an attempt to smother him. His answer was to just take the snap and stand up, throw the ball to whomever was left uncovered, and he just picked them apart unmercifully.

When he blew out his knee, his season was over and that is when he got into drugs. Drugs ruined his life, but he could never shake the habit, leaving him in and out of jail since then. What a waste of a very talented life.

Like I said, one of the greatest QB's in Tennessee history.

mlsoft
 
Last edited:
#24
#24
^^ agree..I was at that Auburn game. TR was unbelievable and it's a shame that he decisions he made affected the remainder of his life. He was truly a talent.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top