TUCSON, Arizona — Bijan Robinson's first touchdown was scored for the wrong team.
"He didn't know the rules of the game!" exclaimed LaMore Sauls, Robinson's mother. "He just grabbed the ball and ran the wrong way."
Robinson was quickly pointed in the correction direction.
"And he hasn't stopped running since," laughed Sauls.
Sauls is joined on the evening of this interview with Bijan's grandparents, Cleo and Gerri Robinson, as the family is set to watch Bijan selected in the NFL draft, quite possible in the first round.
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"He knew that he wanted to play in the NFL since he was a little boy," said Sauls.
"We knew since he was five years old that it was his dream," said Gerri Robinson.
First, Bijan would play high school football at Salpointe, the site of our interview. He became the state of Arizona's all-time career leader in rushing yards and touchdowns.
"We would just come here and the crowd would be pumped," said Sauls. "Seeing him run up and down the field was absolutely amazing."
It was then on to the University of Texas. During his junior, and final, season, Bijan was named a unanimous All-American and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back.
If anyone knows good football, it's Cleo Robinson. He was a Pac-12 official for more than thirty years.
"What I appreciate is while many people know something about his athletic ability, they also say something about his character," said Cleo Robinson. "They always say something positive."
"He always smiles," said Sauls. "I don't think I ever saw him upset. He was always smiling and wanting to play football."
Bijan should be smiles on Thursday when his name is called in front of his family. They are headed to Kansas City for the NFL Draft.
"To see him get to this point is so exciting for us," said Cleo Robinson. "And, we're super proud of him."
"I am super excited," said Sauls. "This is something he and I talked about forever."
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Jason Barr is a sports anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Jason's stories have won KGUN four prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for sports reporting. He has also won two Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards for sports reporting. Share your story ideas with Jason by emailing jason.barr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
