Brian Robinson Jr. feels like his old self in Commanders’ training camp

Published Jul. 28, 2023, 5:25 p.m.
By Mark Inabinett |
Brian Robinson Jr. led the Washington Commanders in rushing yards as a rookie in 2022 despite being shot two weeks before the season kicked off.
The former Alabama running back figures if he could do that after getting shot, think what he might do when healthy.
“Not one time I felt like Brian Robinson,” Robinson said on Friday about the 2022 campaign. “That’s night and day from then to now, so people should expect a lot of great things to come when you compare all the things I did when I was limping around all year last year.”
On Aug. 28, the day after the Commanders’ final preseason game, Robinson was shot in the hip and knee when he was accosted by two armed teens seeking to steal his Dodge Challenger Hellcat in Washington, according to District of Columbia police, who reported Robinson wrested a gun away from one of the boys before being shot by the other.
After being shot, Robinson was taken to a hospital, where he had surgery before being released the next day.
The injuries caused Robinson to miss the first four games of the season. Robinson made his NFL debut on Oct. 9, went into the starting lineup the next week and played in 12 games before an injury kept him off the field in the season finale.
“I’m very grateful,” Robinson said. “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful and appreciative for everybody that was in my corner from the time everything happened up to this point, and I make sure I let everybody know every chance I get how much I appreciate them and how much I appreciate being here.”
Robinson ran for 797 yards and two touchdowns on 205 carries and caught nine passes for 60 yards and one touchdown as a rookie. Robinson had a three game-stretch during which he had 290 yards on 51 rushing attempts and five receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown.
“I think we got to see it probably getting near the three-quarters of the way into the season,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera said on Friday about Robinson’s ability, “and then he got nicked up at the end with the thigh contusion. But I think we had a real good picture of what it can be.
“What we’re seeing now is a little more mature version of last year’s guy that went through camp. He’s still learning, he’s still growing and he’s still got a ways to go, but there’s a lot of promise, there’s a lot of excitement right now.”
Washington is working toward its season-opening game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10. Before that the Commanders will play the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 11, Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 21 and Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 26 in preseason contests.
“I expect to have a great camp, and I expect to roll into the season with all the momentum in the world just coming off a strong camp,” Robinson said on Friday after Washington’s third practice of training camp.
A prep standout at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Robinson joined the Commanders in the third round of the NFL Draft on April 29 after running for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns and catching 35 passes for 296 yards for Alabama during the 2021 season.