Commanders RB Brian Robinson set for NFL debut after shooting
The Commanders activated rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. from the non-football injury list on Saturday, and he’ll be available when Washington hosts the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Robinson, 23, was released from the hospital on Aug. 29 after undergoing surgery for two gunshot wounds suffered while he was a bystander during an attempted robbery in Washington, D.C., the previous day. Robinson has made a speedy recovery, with doctors saying he sustained no structural damage.
“He had good week,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera said Friday afternoon, according to the team website. “This morning, he was there and he was in good shape. So we’re pretty fired up.”
So is Robinson, who was running agility drills 18 days after the incident.
“It’s been a long five weeks, but it’s a lot of work,” Robinson said Wednesday. “We put in a lot of work over that time, and I could say I did everything I needed to do over that time period to make sure I was here today.”
He called the time immediately after the shooting “probably one of the lowest points in my life.” But now he’s headed toward his NFL debut.
“I’m definitely ambitious, and I’m gonna fight for anything I believe in,” Robinson said. “If I believe that I can return back to the field and do what I need to do to the level that I want to do it, then that’s the steps I’m taking to put myself in that position.”
A third-round pick this year, Robinson rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown in the preseason. He added two catches for 15 yards.
As a senior at Alabama in 2021, Robinson rushed for 1,343 yards with 14 touchdowns for the national title runner-up.
–Field Level Media
