This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
PROVO - Justin Robinson has a personality that contradicts his position on the football field.
The reserved type, he prefers to blend in and not draw attention to himself. Problem is, Robinson stands out during most of Brigham Young's plays on defense, especially when the ball goes airborne.
Hero or goat, cornerbacks are one of the two several times a game.
"It's the nature of that position," said coach Bronco Mendenhall.
But it's certainly not Robinson's nature. His idea of a good time is to pop open a bag of chips and watch television.
Two years ago, he found the perfect match for multiple reasons in BYU, which never ranks among the top party schools. But the
football program always seems to need cornerbacks, a position made for the speedy Robinson.
Coming out of community college in Oklahoma, Robinson wanted a place to fit in. His choice, even though he didn't know much about Mormons, was clear soon after visiting BYU.
"Once I came here, I had a different feeling," he said. "I had heard different things, but usually when you hear different things, it's better to see and be around it."
Educated in Catholic schools, Robinson had no problem adhering to BYU's strict rules. If only playing cornerback was as easy as living the Honor Code.
With his secondary beset by injuries, Mendenhall quickly installed Robinson as a starter last season. While having his share of good moments, he struggled at times, most notably in a national television game against a Notre Dame offense that torched BYU for six touchdown passes.
On one of Brady Quinn's throws, a badly beaten Robinson had no choice but to interfere with a wide-open receiver in the end zone. The play drew a raucous roar in the Notre Dame press box, a place not known for improper decorum.
"Coming from a junior college and in high school, you don't play before big crowds," Robinson said. "I think, early on, my emotions kind of got the best of me. Then there's other times, playing against different receivers there's different routes that you've never seen before.
"Confidence-wise, in some games I could have been lacking in that area. But at the same time, health had a lot to do with it. I had a bad ankle. This year, that's not the case."
Not at all.
A healthy Robinson, who had a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown against Utah State, has been a primary reason for BYU's dramatic turnaround on defense. The defensive backfield - which includes cornerback Ben Criddle along with safeties Dustin Gabriel and Quinn Gooch - is vastly improved under new coach Jaime Hill.
Hold on a minute, some would say.
Why all the love for Robinson? Didn't he blow the coverage that resulted in Boston College's winning touchdown in double overtime?
Yes.
"He had really only one bad play against Boston College," Hill said. "It's a situation where he slipped and fell down and the guy caught the ball in the end zone. People are making a big deal that he is the person that actually lost the game for us. He didn't lose the game for us."
Through four games, going into Thursday's conference showdown with Texas Christian, the good far outweighs the bad. Robinson has thrived in BYU's new 3-4 defensive scheme, which allows him to react naturally rather than be forced to analyze the play.
The best example came against the Aggies. As the USU route developed, Robinson recognized the play and stepped in front of the receiver to make the interception.
"He has a better understanding today than when we first began, but he'll continue to get better as the season progresses," Hill said. "We're not where we want to be yet."
When Robinson finally gets there, don't look for any wild celebrations. Most likely, he'll go home and chat up his roommate, linebacker Gary Lovely, before retreating to his room.
"We may joke with each other for a minute or two, then we go back to our rooms and watch TV," Robinson said. "That's about it."