Darius Robinson: "I can't wait to get to Clemson"

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Jan 19 10:24:27 GMT-04:00 2010

The term “student-athlete” is thrown around a little too loosely at times, but that is definitely not the case with Clemson commitment Darius Robinson.

Robinson is the cornerback out of Westlake High School in Atlanta who does just as much damage in the classroom as he does on the football field, scoring a 1370 on his SAT.

“My dad stayed hard on me,” Robinson told TigerNet Monday night. “I have never received a C on a report card in my life. My dad doesn’t accept anything lower than an 85, so I try not to accept anything lower than an 85. I took the SAT as a junior, and I haven’t even thought about taking it since then, which is a lot of pressure off of me. I knew coming into this season I could relax.”

Just in case you’re wondering if Robinson can play football – he can. Robinson is the No. 17-rated cornerback in the nation according to ESPN, and his hard-hitting style will fit in perfectly with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s scheme.

He also has the swagger needed to play cornerback, just like Champ Bailey, who happens to be Robinson’s hero.

“He is an in-your-face type of corner who loves to press,” Robinson said of Denver’s All-Pro corner. “He doesn’t like to play off his man and has no problems making an open-field tackle to help his team. He is tough, and has that attitude.”

Robinson said that he is ready to get on campus, not only to see if he can help take some of the sting out of losing Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler, but also to play with the likes of DeAndre McDaniel.

“I am definitely ready to get there and work hard, and continue the great tradition of great defensive backs they have at Clemson,” he said. “Last year, I watched every game [Clemson’s] that came on TV down here, and one of my favorite players was Chris Chancellor. McDaniel, he is a ball hawk. Even the reserves, when they come in, they put on a show. When you play against better players, they tend to make the others around them better, so I can’t wait to get there and learn from them.”

Robinson said that there were a couple of things he took from watching the Tigers last season.

“I like how they fought back from their start,” he said. “They started out 2-3, and then they started winning some games and showing some resilience. I like how they fought back. Another thing is, there is no way we can lose to South Carolina anymore.”

Even though he had offers from several of the big-time programs, Robinson said there were a couple of things that Clemson apart from the rest.

“The opportunity to play early for a big-time program caught my eye,” Robinson said. “Clemson is not too far from home, and my dad [Efrem Robinson] always had an interest in Clemson because of James Davis. They lived near each other. And Clemson is a family atmosphere, and I know they will take care of me there. I have no problem being a part of that.”

As it turns out, running down the hill is one of the things Robinson is most looking forward to – and worried about when he starts at Clemson in June.

“I am really excited about being a part of the most exciting 25 seconds in college football,” he said. “Hopefully, I won’t fall. I will have to get some practice in. But I just want to get settled in, get on campus and start adjusting to everything better. I want to manage my time better, the classroom, and take advantage of everything has been given to right now.”

Robinson said that he will not take any more official visits, and is firm with Clemson. Robinson had mentioned taking visits to Georgia Tech and Auburn, but said he will not take any more visits. He had a call from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and a visit from Charlie Harbison on Monday.