Four years ago, Caleb Robinson had never played the game of football. Now, he is just weeks away from experiencing the thrills and excitement of college football.
The former Union High School offensive lineman signed his letter of intent to play for Methodist University Wednesday. He and the Monarchs will look to turn around a 1-9 record that saw the team go winless in conference play last year.
“I feel like it’s everybody’s dream to make it to the next level, so when the former offensive coach at Methodist told me that they wanted me to play for them, it was like a dream come true,” Robinson said.
Under the guidance of Mark Oates, head varsity football for the Spartans, Robinson felt he was being pushed in the right direction.
“In my first year meeting Coach Oates, he did not make it easy,” Robinson recalled. “But football isn’t easy, and I’m glad it wasn’t easy. Football became my passion.”
For Robinson, his decision to play on the offensive side of the ball was simple.“The O-line is where it’s at,” Robinson emphasized. “Nobody cares about no sorry defensive linemen. On this side, that’s where it’s at.”
Oates was a major factor in Robinson’s development over the course of his four years at Union.
“He teaches you how to be a Spartan, even though he wasn’t one. We take pride in being a Spartan. I still have my bracelet on,” the UHS graduate attested.
Robinson also recalled a lesson Oates shared with the entire team.“He also has a saying that he said to the whole team: ‘If you hang around nine broke friends, you’re going to be the 10th one. Associate with the people you want to be with.’ If you’re hanging around somebody that’s benching 135, you’re never going to bench 300. That’s one of the lessons he told me.”
The transition from high school football to college has taken Robinson some time to adjust to.At first, he said, it wasn’t easy. “But slowly, over time, I feel like I’m getting used to it, and I’ll continue to get used to everything. I just got my class schedule, and those look decent, so I’ll get used to everything.”
One of those adjustments is the workout regimen required of an offensive lineman.
“The one week I was at Methodist, we benched, squatted, push pressed and worked on conditioning,” Robinson recalled, saying the workout was “super heavy” on the squatting, something he didn’t particularly like.
The biggest thing Robinson said he will miss about Union High School is playing alongside his teammates and learning under Oates. Now, as he moves on to Methodist, he has new goals to accomplish.
“I want to get my degree but I also want to make it further. I’m already playing college ball; I didn’t think I was going to get here. I want to be good enough and achieve enough that, hopefully, praise to God, I can make it to the next level.”
Over the course of four years, Oates watched Robinson develop into the player he is today.
“I’m excited for Caleb,” Oates attested. “When I first met him, he hadn’t played football … he was raw. But the thing about him is that he took to the weight room quickly. He got stronger that first year, and he’s just been a dedicated kid, has discipline and is a joy to work with. You can tell that his parents have done a tremendous job with him. I’m happy for him and happy for the family.”
Oates believes his job as a coach is to ensure his players are ready when opportunities come. Seeing Robinson receive one makes him feel like “a proud dad.”
“I used to joke with him to motivate him in practice, because he played tackle and when I was in high school, I played tackle,” Oates recalled. “I said, ‘Come on, man, you gotta be Baby Oates,’ and it kind of stuck. Everybody started calling him that, and it was kind of a pride thing. I think he looks at me like a father figure type. I don’t have any biological children, so it was mutually beneficial.”
With Robinson’s signing, Oates hopes his success can help set an example for other players at Union.
“Anytime you have a kid sign, the community sees it, younger kids see it, and it can only help your program,” Oates stressed. “Just knowing that he put in the work and it’s paying off for him and giving the program a good look. We talk about we, not me, but we also talk about being men of service. This is Caleb’s service to the program by doing what was necessary to get to the next level. He’s giving younger kids hope that they can do this at Union.”
Oates had two final pieces of advice for Robinson as he walked back into the room.“Stay away from them girls,” Oates joked as Robinson laughed.
“Coach, you know the dorm I got is co-ed, right?” Robinson responded, prompting Oates to double down.
The other piece of advice was more serious: Focus on his education.
“When we talk about university and the different levels of college, the only thing that matters after that D is E-G-R-E-E,” Oates said, referring to the NCAA’s different divisions. “A degree is a degree. Whether you’re Division I, II, III, NAIA, you get that degree. That’s what you’re going for. That’s the main thing.”