There's not many players in the NFL like Amik Robertson, who's 5'8 and came from Louisiana Tech -- "like, come on, man," he says with a smile. "It's not easy." The Lions' newly-signed defensive back has done it the hard way.
"Being a confident guy, that's what got me here," Robertson said Monday a week after signing a two-year, $9.25 million deal with Detroit.
Robertson will be a flexible piece in the Lions' secondary, a bit like Brian Branch -- who's listed at 6'0, for reference. While his size seems suited for the slot, Robertson played mostly on the outside the past two seasons for the Raiders when he had 15 passes defended and four picks. He's feisty and fearless with a nose for the football, and senses the same qualities in his new teammates. He said he will "fit perfect into the scheme, perfect into this defense."
"I don't have no worries in the world," Robertson said. "I'm where I need to be and where I belong."
His mouth might move as quickly as his feet. He has the pep in his step of the Energizer Bunny. Robertson was naturally drawn to Dan Campbell, especially after his experience in Vegas under another former NFL player in Antonio Pierce, who quickly won the Raiders locker room -- and eventually the full-time head coaching job -- after taking over for Josh McDaniels in the middle of last season. And he was drawn to the Lions after they smacked the Raiders in Detroit in McDaniels' final game as coach.
"What influenced me to come and sign was the swagger, the grit, the energy," said Robertson, identifying the same traits in Campbell. "That’s what you look for in a coach. ... You want to play for a man like that, a person that his players will run through the wall for. I can’t wait to go out there and prove to him and the team and this organization that I belong."
Proving it is the story of Robertson's career. He never really played defense until he got to college, where one of his coaches told him, "You don’t get your name in the paper for getting PBU’s, man. You get your name in the paper for catching picks." He went on to catch 14 of them over three seasons, which was good enough to get him drafted in the fourth round in 2020 -- one pick after his teammate L'Jarius Sneed.
He played mostly on special teams his first two seasons with the Raiders, before forcing his way into the starting lineup in 2022. He played in all 17 games last season and held quarterbacks to a passer rating in coverage of 85.7 -- down from 98.1 the season before. He allowed just two completions and 14 yards on five targets against Jared Goff and the Lions. The bulk of his snaps came on the outside.
While Robertson said he "was ready to play" as a rookie -- that is, eager to play -- "I wasn't prepared to play." That's the biggest difference in where he is now, four years later.
"When I finally found myself and the game slowed down, I had to build that trust back from that fanbase. Now, coming into the Lions organization, I know what to expect and I know what I have to do. Now that I got the fans and the organization with Detroit welcoming me with open arms, I just want to show you that this was not no mistake. Y'all got y'all guy," Robertson said. "I'm going to give you everything I got. I'm prepared. I'm ready."
It remains to be seen where Robertson plays in Aaron Glenn's defense. The Lions just acquired a No. 1 corner in Carlton Davis III, who figures to shift Cam Sutton into the No. 2 role on the outside. They also re-signed Emmanuel Moseley, another outside corner, and bring back Branch, with the draft still to come. Robertson, a self-described "football player, man" who says he "could be playing safety" had he known as a rookie what he knows now, is ready to rock "wherever you put me on the field."
"I have some (roles) in mind, but I’ll let the cards fall where they fall," he said. "They just basically told me, they know what I can play, they know what I can do. But at the end of the day, man, I want to earn it. That’s what it’s about at the Lions: earning the trust from the fans, the organization, the players most importantly, and the coaches."
As the Raiders were coming into their own under Pierce last season, the Lions were setting off on a run to the NFC title game. They finished with 14 total wins, most in franchise history, and came within 30 minutes of the Super Bowl. Robertson has no illusions about his standing on his new team. He is true to his stature when he says, "Y’all won a lot of games last year, so I can’t say (I'm here to) help you win a lot of games. I would say try to at least help us win the big one."
He grinned at the thought of it, having experienced just one winning season -- and zero playoff wins -- in the NFL. Robertson's ball skills just got him paid, and could pay dividends in Detroit, where the Lions want a defense built on toughness and takeaways. He recalled those words from his college coach, then sounded a lot like Campbell or Glenn in saying, "This game is all about the ball. It's all about turnovers."
"And that’s what I pride myself on: I want the ball. I’m hungry for it. I punch at it. If the ball is in my area, I’m the guy that’s always trying to get it. Being a ball guy, man, I think that’s just in me. Hopefully I can rack up more. Instead of two a year, I want four or five a year," Robertson said.
The former wide receiver admitted he "left a lot of opportunities out there," then smiled and said, "I gotta get on the JUGS a little more."
Robertson will fit well in Detroit, indeed. He's a self-made player with God-given abilities, even if "he didn't bless me with the height," he laughed. "Whatever, whatever. I wish I was taller." Robertson is still growing in the NFL, and the Lions are finally standing up for themselves in the NFC.
"Like I’m constantly saying, you gotta have that swagger," he said. "You gotta walk with swagger, you gotta talk with swagger. You gotta put your pads on with swagger. That’s just who I am."
The Lions went from walking to running last season, and talking loud enough for the league to hear. Robertson is here to give them a boost, as they reach even higher in 2024.