Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4 NOV. 14, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED A s a graduate student, a Rhodes Scholar candi- date, a volunteer assis- tant football coach, a young man of deep faith, a gifted musician and — oh yeah — the Notre Dame student body president, Corey Robinson doesn't get the same lounge- around time many of his col- lege classmates enjoy. So when Robinson makes his homecoming this week- end to San Antonio for the S h a m ro c k S e r i e s g a m e against Army, he again plans to be pulled in 100 different directions during his stay, juggling several guest ap- pearances around the city along with his duties on the sideline as a student wide re- ceiver coach with the Irish. College life as a politician, a football coach, an Academic All-American and an all- around good guy leaves Rob- inson no choice but to attack every day with an hour-by- hour — and sometimes even minute-by-minute — waste not, want not. "How can I serve whomever in whatever environment I'm in?" Rob- inson said when asked what drives him to always stay entrenched and in- volved. "Whether I'm in the classroom, or on the football field, or being in the student government office, the central mission for me is to serve." Wherever Robinson finds himself each day on campus, his story is made more interesting because he is actually still on campus. Set to graduate a year early with a degree in liberal studies, Robinson made the decision after the Fiesta Bowl in January to pass on his senior foot- ball season and leave Notre Dame to enter the work world in the same way teammate Steve Elmer did in February when the Irish lineman accepted a job in Washington, D.C. But when the opportunity arose for Robinson to come back to school and run for student body president, the pull to lead, study, serve and finish his football career at Notre Dame became irresistible. "I wanted to make a difference on campus, and student government was the best way to affect change," Robin- son said of his political aspirations. As for football, with his 65 career catches for 896 yards in three seasons here, Robinson was the most experi- enced and productive returning Irish wide receiver when spring ball opened in March, and a potential NFL Draft pick in 2017. But early during those spring work- outs, Robinson suffered his third foot- ball concussion, an unfortunate mo- ment that brought personal reflection on his future and an early retirement from football. "The decision was how do I balance this idea of my personal health long- term versus short-term?" Robinson ex- plained. "It was the toughest decision of my life, but a decision that had to be made." With his playing days behind but a passion for football still strong, Rob- inson became a student coach for Notre Dame, a position that allows him to complement the full-time Irish coaches with a different voice and perspective. "He builds great relation- ships with the players," Irish head coach Brian Kelly said of Robinson's coaching contri- butions. "I know our players really enjoy having him, and I enjoy having him around." And while football and pol- itics command much of Rob- inson's time each day, there is so much more to this remark- able 21-year-old. Following the lead of his fa- mous father — 10-time NBA All-Star David Robinson — he carries a long and varied interest list, and a catalog of life experiences and lessons to draw from. He has studied in South Africa, Brazil and the Middle East. He is fluent in several languages, and he loves mak- ing music, dabbling in piano, guitar, flute, mandolin, drums, saxophone, ukulele and even a pan flute he bought at a flea market in Costa Rica. "Growing up around music just established the foundation and made me curious about it," said Rob- inson, who recently shared a stage on campus with legendary rocker Todd Rundgren during a pep rally before the Duke game. "Music will always be a big part of my life." But, Robinson admits, not nearly as big a part of his life as the four years he spent at Notre Dame because of the people he met and the opportunities that came with his time here: academi- cally, athletically and politically. "Notre Dame is filled with people who want to learn and want to make a difference," said Robinson, who is believed to be the first football player to become Notre Dame student body president in about 100 years. "And when you're around those type of people all the time, and you can call them your friends and family, that is a really special thing." ✦ So Here's To You Corey Robinson UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com Even with his playing days behind him, Robinson is still making his mark at Notre Dame in the classroom, on the football field and in the student gov- ernment office. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS