PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – When going to school at Penn State, he and some other buddies from Detroit would ride the Megabus home. One of the stops was at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. That’s how receiver Allen Robinson first saw Pittsburgh.
He would return as an NFL opponent and it was a more in-depth view of the city and its fanbase. Robinson compared the feeling of playing football at then-Heinz Field to Beaver Stadium in college. Now he thinks it’s a big opportunity for him to be a veteran to not only help his career, but the receiver room.
“I feel for myself, I have a lot of football left in me,” Robinson said Monday. “I thought last year (with the Los Angeles Rams) for the time I was playing in those 10 games, I felt very good about the things I did. I didn’t get the opportunities I wanted. As far as how I felt as a football player from a route-running ability, getting active in the red zone and doing some things on third down.”
Sidelined by a right foot injury that will continue to limit him through Organized Team Activities and mini-camp (an injury he also suffered as a rookie), Robinson had 33 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, 23 of his catches resulted in first downs. The 6’2”, 220-pounder does have three, 1,000-yard seasons in his professional career, a pair coming with Mitch Trubisky in Chicago.
Robinson said he has the versatility to play both in the slot and out wide. Last season with the Rams he played 410 snaps on the outside and 153 on the inside. He wouldn’t hint to where he might play with the Steelers other than the team has a good vision for him. Joining the Steelers meant a first for the 29-year-old, he has never before been the oldest in a NFL receiving room.
“Being able to help these guys out with the experiences I’ve had in different situations on the field and off the field,” Robinson said of what he brings. “I like to give as much knowledge to some of my younger teammates. To be a vet in this league and to play in now going into my 10th year, I feel like I’ve gained so much knowledge that’s helped me in my career. I always look forward to passing that along.”
He likes what he saw from the Steelers highlights he caught last year, noting a couple of the big catches from George Pickens as a rookie. He also said he’s seen what a competitor Kenny Pickett is at quarterback. The Penn Stater believes having athleticism at the position really makes it tough for defenses. Robinson will now try to build trust with his new quarterback.
“First, play-making, that’s the main thing,” Robinson said of developing a relationship with Pickett. “Once you go out there and make some plays for a quarterback and they see you make those plays. That’s the first thing where you build that trust, chemistry and confidence. Being in communication with what we are looking to do and how I can help him out with what I can do route-running wise and things like that.”
He first came to Pittsburgh as a college kid riding a bus. Nearly a decade and a half later the Steelers are counting on Robinson to be a driver for the young receiver room.