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two years later, his choice is paying off. The Nittany Lions' true sophomore receiver can be counted among the nation's best this season, hauling in a team-high 41 receptions for 524 yards and seven touchdowns through six games. By comparison, Derek Moye finished as Penn State's leading receiver last year with 40 catches for 654 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for his efforts. "He's just a really good young receiver," Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien said earlier this year. "He works extremely hard at the game, studies the game. He's a fantastic kid. He's always got a smile on his face [and] really, really en- joys playing here. He's just a fun guy to coach, like a lot of these guys." After arriving at Penn State in the off-season, O'Brien quickly recognized that Robinson was a potential differ- ence-maker. Justin Brown was the team's top returning wideout after catching 35 passes as a junior, but Robinson emerged as a starter in the spring, appearing atop the Nittany Li- ons' depth chart alongside Brown and Devon Smith. By the time preseason camp began in August, both Smith and Brown were no longer on Penn State's campus, making Robinson the Nittany Lions' prime target. Fortunately for Penn State, he had already put in plenty of hours with senior quarterback Matt McGloin throughout the off-season in preparation for what he already anticipated would be a bigger role this season. "I didn't know how it would be, coming into a new offense and new team, but I definitely wanted to try to have a bigger impact on the team than I did last year," Robinson said. "I think def- initely coming into this season, I was looking for a bigger role but I didn't know what that would be. "Especially when we had some guys transfer and leave the team for personal reasons, I knew that I would probably have to step into an even bigger role. Throughout the spring and summer, I really was out there with Matt a lot just trying to get some chemistry and fine-tune my game." For proof of Robinson's development, look no further than his 41-yard touch- down reception in the first quarter against Temple. The Owls were playing man under against Robinson, and the cornerback cut off the short pass while a safety rolled over to eliminate the deep threat. Knowing Robinson's ten- dencies, McGloin threw a jump ball, allowing the 6-foot-4 receiver to make the catch and score a touchdown. Said Robinson, "I think that's just something that we have just from practicing so much. We just kind of know each oth- er." If McGloin's reaction is any indication of what's to come for the receiver, even better results may be on the way. The senior quarterback said Robinson should have seen more playing time as a true freshman, and added that a lot of talent and hard work went into his emergence this fall. "I think the coaches last year didn't give him the opportunity that he de- served," McGloin said. "I saw it last year, but he just didn't get the oppor- tunity that he deserved. He's worked his tail off and had a great spring and great summer and great camp as well, and it's really showing so far this sea- son. "Hopefully, he'll be one of the best wideouts that this place has seen in a long time." Even though he used up a potential redshirt season for just three receptions and 90 snaps last year, Robinson said he wasn't upset by the previous staff's decision. "I might not have played as much as I wanted to, but just getting in some games gave me a feel for being out there with the atmosphere and envi- ronment, and it was useful. It's not something that I'm just stepping into this year," he said. "That's really what's going to help me being out on the field." With opponents shifting more atten- tion to Robinson as the season pro- gresses, any and all experience he has gained will be to his benefit, now and in the future. He recently identified a few goals for himself heading into the rest of the year and into the off-season. He wants to be more consistent on the field, be more proficient in his downfield blocking and get stronger and faster – improvements that will not only help him at Penn State but will make him a more marketable pro prospect in a few years. "Sometimes I think about the NFL, but really, I just try to focus on right now," he said. "Just watching NFL games a lot, I think about how it would be up there sometimes. I'm watching a lot of NFL receivers, and that's the main thing when I watch an NFL game. "How are the matchups on the out- side? I definitely learn stuff from that." Just as he took lessons from Lucas's experiences, Robinson is now trying to mold himself in the same humble man- ner. He's a quiet kid with a strong work ethic, and he said he is now even more aware of how he handles himself on and off the field. "I'll definitely check myself the rest of the season and just make sure I'm always doing what I was doing last year – staying after practice just catch- ing balls, fine-tuning routes and stuff," he said. "I think that's something I'll keep focusing on." Although he is cited by his teammates and some coaches and support staffers as the football team's best basketball player, it doesn't appear as though he'll be hitting the hardwood for Penn State. Asked if he might someday suit up for Patrick Chambers' basketball team, Robinson just smiled. "That won't happen," he said. "Some- times, watching them makes me want to go out and play some, but I haven't really given it a lot of thought." With football as his sole focus, that isn't going to change.

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