Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State picked up former Mary- land defender Demeioun Robin- son from the transfer portal ear- lier this year. However, if you look at the Nittany Lions' official roster, you'll no- tice that the sophomore defensive end goes by the name Chop. Turns out, the nickname predates his football career … and pretty much ev- erything else in his life. "When I came out of the womb, I was 14 pounds," Robinson said at Penn State's football media day in early Au- gust. "I was a real big baby, and my dad and my mom started calling me Pork Chop. Once I got older, I was like, 'Well, I can't have people calling me Pork Chop.' So, I just kept it to Chop, and that's how I got my name." Robinson has since developed into a really big football player, standing 6-foot-3, 242 pounds. A native of Gaithersburg, Md., Robin- son was an Under Armour All-American and All-Met selection in 2019 after fin- ishing with 85 tackles, 14 sacks and an interception for a Quince Orchard High team that reached the state semifinals with a 12-1 record. He received a four- star rating in the On3 Consensus, in- cluding a five-star grade from one of the major recruiting networks. Robinson ended up choosing the Ter- rapins over Penn State and numerous other elite schools, including Ohio State, LSU, Clemson and Michigan. He went on to see action in all 13 games for the Terps last fall, playing outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense and finishing his freshman year with 19 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Robinson even made a start in Week 10 against Michigan State, but after the season he reconsidered his original de- cision to join the Terrapins and entered the transfer portal in search of a new home. His recruitment had come down to a choice between Maryland and Penn State, so he was well acquainted with Nittany Lions head coach James Frank- lin and his assistants. Robinson said his prior connections to the staff made the Lions an easy choice when he decided to move on. "Coming out of high school, I was getting recruited heavily [by Penn State], so it was like, the same atmosphere, a family environment, of course," Rob- inson said. "And then once I hopped in the portal, it was the same thing — same coaches, same players. I just felt like it was the right place for me. "The main thing is the brotherhood here. Everybody just wants each other to work hard. Everybody wants each other to be great. It's just a brotherhood." Robinson was ranked as the No. 4 edge rusher nationally in the On3 Consensus for the class of 2021, as well as the No. 62 overall prospect and No. 1 player in Maryland. Given that pedigree, it should come as little surprise that his transition to defensive end at Penn State has hap- pened quickly and successfully. Robinson said that pass rushing is his foremost skill, but there's more to his game than just putting pressure on op- posing quarterbacks. "I could also drop in coverage, too," he said. "We have some defenses where I drop in coverage. I just thought I'm go- ing to have to be a versatile player. "Camp has been great," he added. "I had experience my first year [at Mary- land], so I'm used to it." Defensive line coach John Scott Jr. lauded Robinson's skill set but has been equally impressed with the intangible qualities that the newcomer has brought to the Nittany Lions. "First of all, he comes from a great family — mom, dad. He's a phenom- enal person," Scott said. "He's a worker with a great attitude, and he gets better every day. Having the opportunity to work with a guy like Chop who's got the physical skills, the toughness, and the speed and agility and quickness — when you get guys like that, they definitely add to your room and make you better. "It was important to get that. You've got to be able to get to the quarterback. You've got to be able to cover people, too, but guys who can get to the quarter- back affect your team." Head coach James Franklin said that as Penn State monitored the transfer portal in the offseason, the defensive end spot was a high priority. The Nit- tany Lions had lost defensive ends Jesse Luketa and Arnold Ebik- etie, the latter a transfer himself, having arrived just a year earlier from Te m p l e . L u ke ta a n d Ebiketie combined for 10 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss in 2021, and both were chosen in the NFL Draft this past April. Their exits meant that Penn State had major needs at the position group, even with redshirt junior Adisa Isaac return- ing after missing the 2021 season with an injury. The Nittany Lions finished with 27 sacks as a team last year, ranking an uncharacteristic eighth in the Big Ten. They've typically been one of the better pass-rushing teams in the conference, as evidenced by their success at devel- oping NFL-caliber defensive ends like Yetur Gross-Matos, Odafe Oweh, Carl Nassib and Ebiketie. Franklin and new defensive coordi- nator Manny Diaz are eager to apply as much pressure as possible this fall, and Robinson figures prominently in those plans. "Chop, at defensive end, that was something that was going to be impor- tant to us, obviously with the guys that we lost," Franklin said. "We needed to make sure that we got somebody who could come in, while also developing the guys who were on our roster that could take the next step. Getting Adisa back helps, too. He was a significant loss for us last year." Robinson is a significant gain, and Penn State fans can expect to see plenty of him this fall. ■ "I just felt like it was the right place for me. The main thing is the brotherhood here. Everybody just wants each other to work hard. Everybody wants each other to be great. It's just a brotherhood." R O B I N S O N O N P E N N S T A T E