Denard Robinson was one of the ultimate college football players, the kind whose talent could only prosper at the collegiate level and was completely captivating to watch. Playing quarterback at Michigan from 2009-12, Robinson threw for 6,250 yards, rushed for 4,495 and totaled 91 touchdowns. He won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award as a sophomore and was the Big Ten’s First Team all-conference quarterback as a sophomore and a junior. So good was his sophomore campaign of 2010, a year in which he threw for 2,570 yards and rushed for 1,702 more, accounting for 32 total touchdowns, that he robbed Heisman winner Cam Newton of unanimous First Team All-America honors.
He led Michigan to a victory in the 2012 Sugar Bowl, to date the maize and blue’s only New Year’s Six victory since winning the 2000 Orange Bowl.
And now Robinson is back in the college game.
On Monday, Jacksonville University announced Robinson as its new assistant coach. He’ll work as an offensive analyst and help with special teams.
“We’re thrilled that Denard is joining our football family here at Jacksonville University,” Dolphins head coach Ian Shields said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience within the game to our program and will be a real asset for us.”
Jacksonville is an FCS school that competes in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League.
Taken in the fifth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Robinson played four years for the club. He was seen earlier this year playing quarterback for the AAF’s Atlanta Legends, the 28-year-old has elected to most into his post playing career by returning to his home state and his adopted home town.