To say football is in Ryan Robinson's blood would be incredibly appropriate. Ryan's father George played college football at Clemson as did every one of his father's three male siblings. His three uncles all played college ball and went on to play in the NFL.
None of his uncles were able to go on to have successful NFL careers and Ryan's road will be equally, if not more difficult as he hopes to make the climb from tryout player to making an NFL roster.
Robinson spent just one season as the fulltime starting defensive end for Oklahoma State. He was a junior college transfer from Jones Community College and spent his junior season as a backup.
In his only season as fulltime starter, he put up 32 tackles (25 solo), 8.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, and 6 passes defended. Not bad number but certainly not enough to garner attention as a draft pick or a priority free agent signee. It was, however, enough to get him an invitation to tryout. And the Raiders saw enough potential there to offer him a free agent contract.
The 6-4, 255 pound defensive end has shown the ability to play outside linebacker as well. His six pass breakups were good for second on the team which is not typical for a defensive lineman.
As the draft approached, Robinson's stock was on the rise due to some strong workouts. His 4.77 40-yard dash and 9-10 broad jump both would have been top ten at the combine.
Also helping his stock was his play in the Heart of Dallas bowl versus Purdue. In that game he had six tackles, one of a loss, and several quarterback pressures. The Oklahoma defense smothered Purdue for a 58-14 route.
If it hadn't been for that game and those workouts, he may not have even been offered a tryout. But, as he had so many other times, he took his opportunity and made the most of it.
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