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Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson had a breakout year this past season for the Tigers, earning First-Team All-SEC honors.
In his last season with Missouri in 2023, he recorded 43 tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He did so playing his first season as a defensive end as he played defensive tackle the previous four seasons.
The versatile defensive lineman flourished as an end this past season but can play all over the D-line.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Rob Gullo and Tony Pauline, the decorative defensive lineman said he models his game after Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Kansas City Chiefs interior defensive lineman Chris Jones:
"I would say Maxx Crosby, he plays with such a relentless motor and he does a great job at eliminating the surface at the top of the rush. And then I would say Chris Jones. He does a great job at breaking from a three to a five rushing with vision, rushing with his hands and in the run game, always controlling blocks getting on and getting off."
It makes sense that Robinson models his game after Crosby and Jones. Playing both on the interior and outside parts of the D-line, Crosby and Jones are two great linemen to model your game after, as many consider them to be two of the most-feared defensive linemen in the league.
Darius Robinson ditched basketball for football to earn a scholarship
Like most football athletes, Darius Robinson was a multi-sport athlete. Growing up, he played youth football but then stopped to play basketball.
After realizing that he wouldn't earn a basketball scholarship due to being too short at 6-foot-5, Robinson transferred to Canton Public High School to play football and earn a scholarship through the sport:
"Growing up I did play football in little league but I stopped around 5th, 6th grade. I really stopped because I wanted to be a basketball player, but I quickly realized you know I’m 6-foot-5, that really isn’t too tall. Then I got to my junior year of high school and I realized I wasn’t going to earn a basketball scholarship, so my other thing I was going to do was go to the Marines.
"But instead of that I just started playing football and was able to earn a football scholarship at the University of Missouri and I never looked back."
Robinson played tight end, defensive tackle and outside linebacker in high school. He didn't transition to defensive end until his redshirt senior at Missouri.
With the NFL draft a week and a half out, Robinson could hear his name called on draft night, as he is projected to be a first or second-round pick. He accepted his invitation to attend the 2024 NFL draft in his home state of Michigan.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Darius Robinson and Sportskeeda.
