COLUMN
Xavier Robinson just wants to play ball.
To some degree, the same could be said for just about anyone suiting up in college football these days.
Everyone just wants to play.
But following his performance on Saturday in Oklahoma’s 17-6 victory over Missouri, the Sooners’ sophomore running back is clearly taking his want-to to another level.
For the second week in a row, Robinson fought through a knee injury — on the other leg this time — and stayed on the field to help the struggling OU offense survive a physical slugfest.
He carried the football as a runner 12 times for 42 yards — modest numbers, to be sure — and his longest run was a meager 6 yards. He also led the team with four pass receptions that netted just 16 yards. Again, nothing flashy.
But carry after carry, hit after hit, Robinson got off the Owen Field grass and willed himself back to the huddle for the next play. And every touch finished with the pileup moving forward. He even threw the key block — and a good one — late in the game to help quarterback John Mateer pick up a first down.
After the game, with a big smile on his face, head coach Brent Venables offered Robinson maybe the highest compliment he’s ever paid to any player.
“He showed up on Monday, got a sprained knee, and this is a guy — some guys might run to the sideline or the training room, and he didn’t,” Venables said. “He said, ‘Put me in a brace. Let me go on Monday.’
“And, you know, that’s what guys from Carl Albert, do. They show up, even when it hurts.”
After back-to-back games setting new career-highs with 109 and 115 yards, Robinson hurt one knee last week in a 23-21 win at Alabama, and finished that game with 34 yards on 10 carries.
He injured the other one against the Tigers, came out for the rest of the series and returned to action almost immediately.
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Both times, his speed and cutting ability were clearly hampered by the injury. But both time, he refused to leave the football game.
“There was never any flinch in him all week,” said offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. “Dude showed up on Monday, said, ‘No, I’m good. I’m playing.’ Threw a brace on, and then he goes out there with just a gritty performance, getting tough yards, pushing the pile, making some big catches out of the backfield for us.”
Venables didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to: in a time when many college football players are focused on their NIL paycheck or the transfer portal or maintaining their redshirt (or in some cases all three) — or, as Venables hinted, limited by some nagging injury — Robinson is a refreshing change, an old-school ballplayer, a versatile, team-first workhorse, a throwback to a time when players just wanted to play.
Not for money, but because the game of football is so much fun.
The Oklahoma running back room is replete with talented athletes who can’t or won’t get on the field.
Cal transfer Jaydn Ott has been an expensive bust. He was hurt early in training camp and appeared in a handful of early games, even starting against Michigan, but was a liability as a blocker, wasn’t engaged as a runner and hasn’t played since the South Carolina game. For the year, this former 1,300-yard rusher has 21 carries for 68 yards.
Senior Jovantae Barnes started the season opener and returned to the starting lineup at Temple, but hasn’t played since September. Barnes has begun each of the last five game weeks listed as questionable on the SEC availability report, only to be ruled out on gameday. After having surpassed 500 yards in a season twice as a Sooner, his season total stands at 19 carries, 45 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore Taylor Tatum has battled an injury and has played in just one game all year (also South Carolina). Tatum did appear on the availability report twice but has been ruled out of three games (he was available on Saturday but go zero reps.
Robinson began his career last year as an overweight, out-of-shape freshman (his words) and didn’t play until midseason, but by November was the team’s best ballcarrier.
He’s been in good shape this year, by all accounts, but through the Sooners’ first six games, he played in only three and got a grand total of 16 carries for 50 yards.
Robinson shows up every day and, injured or not, puts in the work. That’s why he was the only Sooner running back to get any meaningful action (freshman Tory Blaylock filled in for a few snaps when Robinson dinged his knee) in a must-win against Mizzou.
“Yeah, I mean, that’s not easy to do,” Mateer said of Robinson. “Some people make a decision for themselves, but he didn’t do it and I’m proud of him. He’s doing a great job, and he’s carrying his load, and I love handing the ball off to him and watching him run.”
Now the 6-foot, 239-pound Robinson (408 rushing yards open 74 carries this season) has taken over the team rushing lead from Blaylock (402 on 98). And, sore knees or not, Robinson will be rewarded with more action next week as the Sooners try to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff by beating LSU at home.
“You can’t say enough about that kid, the teammate that he is,” Arbuckle said. “He loves his teammates, he cares about his teammates, and he’s one of those guys that you just love having on your team. He epitomizes what this team is. And Xavier Robinson, I couldn’t be more proud of that kid.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Brent Venables Sounds Off After Oklahoma RB’s Gutsy Performance.
