SEATTLE – His dropped passes have drawn the ire of fans, and his questionable playing status has kept the coaching staff guessing every week.
But for the time being, Koren Robinson is playing with the Seattle Seahawks on Sundays, as he will today against the Carolina Panthers.
Amid all the frustration that Robinson has caused those around him, the 24-year-old wide receiver is probably the most frustrated of all.
“I think with the latest stuff that is being talked about, it has had an effect on him and has bothered him,” coach Mike Holmgren said in a conference call with North Carolina media members last week.
Robinson’s name has come up a lot in discussions with Holmgren this year, usually accompanied by a controversial question. Whether it has been Robinson’s propensity to drop passes or a lingering unconfirmed rumor of an impending four-game suspension, Holmgren hasn’t been able to provide many answers.
“I am not sure if the stuff that is being said is accurate,” Holmgren said of the suspension rumors that Robinson cannot address. “He is a good player and we need him to be operating on all cylinders. The second half of the Patriots game (two weeks ago) and last week (against Arizona) he made some plays. He is really practicing hard, he is concentrating and I will take that every time.”
That’s not to say that Robinson has never been a source of frustration for his head coach. The Seahawks took a chance on him with the ninth overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft despite rumors that the North Carolina State product was selfish and undisciplined.
Robinson’s personality immediately won Holmgren over, but the receiver’s immaturity has led to a few headaches.
The first public sign of trouble came in February 2003, when Robinson was arrested outside a North Carolina nightclub for failure to disperse. He was suspended for one game by the Seahawks in September of that year for being habitually late to meetings.
But not until recently did rumors really start to pick up.
First, CBS reported that he was appealing a possible four-game suspension from the NFL for a third violation of its policy on substance abuse and personal conduct.
Then came a report in the Tacoma News Tribune that Robinson has had multiple traffic-related episodes with the police, followed the next day by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer story about Robinson failing to pay money owed to a charity.
The rumors were swirling so vigorously that teammate Darrell Jackson told reporters that Robinson’s motivation lately has been that “he just wants to get everybody out of his face.”
Through it all, Holmgren has stuck by his young receiver’s side, despite a team-high eight dropped passes this season.
“He is a well-meaning, good guy who has acted young at times,” Holmgren said. “I am frustrated at times, and every once in a while I have to grab him by the throat. But he knows where I am coming from. He knows I want to help him as a football player and as a person.”
NFL rules prevent both Holmgren and Robinson from addressing any possible suspension, but the head coach was upfront about his feelings toward Robinson.
“I was a high school teacher prior to coaching, and Koren has been in the principal’s office a lot,” Holmgren said. “I talk to him a lot about all types of things.
“I have all daughters; four daughters and three granddaughters. He is like the son I never had. I really care about the kid.”
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