Hall of Fame
Robinson, a Detroit native and graduate of Detroit Osborn HS, is remembered as one of the best two-sport athletes ever to play for Wayne State. Lettering four seasons in indoor and outdoor track and field in 1967, 1968, 1970, and 1971 seasons. He also lettered four times in football (1968, 1969, 1970, and 1971). Robinson finished with 12 Athletic Award Letters, among the most in WSU history. Though he was an excellent defensive halfback and offensive tailback on the Tartar football squads, Robinson is perhaps best recalled as one of Wayne State's premiere tracksman in a long series at the University. A two-time AAU and NCAA All-American, and a national champion in track and field, Robinson also captured several invitational meet titles and records during his Wayne State career. His 24'2 1/2 jump in the Long Jump event at the 1969 NCAA College Division National Track and Field Championships at Ashland College (Ohio) was long enough to capture the national title for Robinson. In the 1970 NCAA College Division National Track and Field Championships at Macalester Colleger (Minn.), Robinson jumped 25'3 1/2" in the Long Jump, his personal best, but finished third to Joe Silva of Western Illinois, who jumped 25' 8" in capturing the national Long Jump title. After both NCAA national championships, Robinson was selected by Track and Field Guild to the 1969 and 1970 NCAA College Division Long Jump All-American Team. Robinson also set a new Wayne State indoor triple jump record that still stands today, when he jumped 45' 5" in 1969. His best jump in the long jump in indoor track was 23' 10 ½". He accumulated three Wayne State MVP awards and four team scoring titles. His individual meet titles included: Ohio Relays Long Jump champion and Eastern Michigan Holiday Long Jump champion, both in 1969. Robinson finished twice in the long jump event at the Central Collegiate Outdoor Meets, and third twice in the long jump event at the Central Collegiate Outdoor Meets. At the 1969 NAAU Outdoor Meet, Robinson finished seventh in the long jump. As a Tartar football player, Robinson was a standout both on offense and defense, and he set three records as a kickoff return specialist. His 33 career kickoff returns, for 865 yards, and a 26.2 kickoff returned yards average, were all new WSU standards. Robinson's kickoffs returned and kickoff return yardage records were broken by Dick Byas during his career, but his record for kickoff return yards average still stands. As a prep athlete at Osborn and Ecorse high schools, Robinson competed four years in track and football. He was the 1966 Detroit City Pole Vault champion while at Osborn. Robinson graduated from Wayne State in 1971 with a B.S in Physical Education, and while pursing his Master's in Physical Education at WSU, he worked as an assistant football coach under coaches David F. Hoover and Richard Lowry. He received his M.A. in 1975. In 1976 Robinson went to California to work out with the Philadelphia Pioneers and California International Track Club, to train to make the 1976 USA Olympic Team. Failing to make the track and field squad, he decided to remain in California, and joined the San Diego School system as a physical education instructor upon his retirement from competition in 1977. Robinson also taught ballet, jazz, and tap dancing at San Diego's Schools of the Arts. He has two sons, Donald James and Nathaniel.
