Former ASU star ready to impress at Combine

It’s been an interesting six months for former Hamilton High School and Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson.

Entering his senior year in Tempe, nobody knew exactly what to expect from Robinson who had roughly 650 receiving yards and five touchdowns through his first three seasons combined. He was viewed by many as a player who would never live up to the hype that followed him from his decorated prep career in Chandler to his hometown university.

After collecting 1400 yards and seven touchdowns last fall, people are singing a different tune.

Most of those people are coaches, scouts and front office executives who will watch Robinson and others at the NFL Combine next week in Indianapolis.

The 6’4, 222-pound late bloomer is taking the Combine and coming weeks leading up to April’s draft in stride.

“I’m more excited than anything,” Robinson told Brad Cesmat Wednesday on “Big Guy on Sports.” “I don’t get nervous. I’m fortunate to be able to calm my nerves so that’s never really been an issue for me.”

Robinson will continue his strict workout schedule in Bradenton, Florida before leaving for Indianapolis next Wednesday. He says the intense training at the IMG Performance Institute has helped prepare him not just physically, but mentally for his big “job interview” in the midwest.

“We’ve done a lot of vision and strength testing,” Robinson explained to Cesmat. “As far as improving our vision and communication skills to be in the position we can be as far as positive thinking and being able to control your thoughts. I’ve done a lot of work on exuding the inner character that I have and showing it to the NFL teams.”

Gerell Robinson on ‘Big Guy on Sports’

He understands, despite his big senior year, NFL personnel will be curious to know where his production was the first three years at ASU.

“Why the sudden burst? I’m sure they’ll want to know what happened early in my career the first couple years I was in college opposed to what happened later in my career and what sparked the change,” he said. “I felt like I grew into a receiver and grew into a man and I made the right decisions on and off the field.”

Robinson is expected to be a mid-round pick, but could easily raise his stock with impressive workouts next week.