College Football

Alabama's Brian Robinson waited his turn to become a star

Updated Dec. 13, 2022 10:12 a.m. ET

By Laken Litman
FOX Sports College Football Writer

Brian Robinson knows that waiting is the hardest part.

In the ultimate test of passion and patience, Robinson became Alabama’s starting running back, an opportunity that took not one or two, not three or even four, but five years to earn. It’s a job Robinson dreamed of having since he was a kid growing up in Tuscaloosa, watching Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide crush Texas in the Rose Bowl.

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Robinson went to Hillcrest High School, which is about 15 minutes away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, and hoped he’d run out onto that field someday.

So when Robinson got an offer from Nick Saban to play for Alabama during his junior year of high school, his first reaction was relief. Or as his mom, Kimberly Little, put it, the "hallelujah moment."

It was the opportunity Robinson had been working toward. But then reality set in. Robinson, a four-star recruit, would be joining the Tide in a class that included current NFL star running back Najee Harris. And the Tide's running back room also boasted future NFL talent such as Damien Harris, Bo Scarborough and Josh Jacobs.

Robinson didn’t expect to start right away, but he was ranked as a top-10 back nationally in the 2017 class and ended up toward the bottom of the depth chart on his own team.

He could have played sooner at other SEC programs, but he trusted that Saban would help him do everything he needed to do to be successful. So Robinson decided to wait his turn at Alabama.

And then he waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Robinson has gotten some action every season, with his role expanding each year. Early on, he played on some short-yardage packages as a blocker, and in fall camp there would be buzz about him performing well. But then the season would get going, and another guy would emerge as the feature back.

These days, that kind of experience makes the transfer portal all the more tempting for players.

"I think he saw the big picture ahead of him," said Sam Adams, who coached Robinson at Hillcrest. "He didn’t just want to be a feature back. He wanted to be the feature back at Alabama."

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Adams remembers the first time he met Robinson. Obviously, his athletic ability and size — Robinson is 6-foot-1, 225 pounds — jumped out. But it was Robinson’s maturity at a young age that was more memorable.

"It’s pretty common for a high school freshman male to be, in general, pretty silly and mess around," Adams said. "But Brian was never really that way. He always had good leadership skills, and the guys on the team tended to gravitate toward him. He had that air about him that if he thought somebody was doing something they shouldn’t do, it didn't take a lot of volume in his voice to get everybody to snap back in line."

Robinson has always been this way, his mother says. He’s a natural leader. As the youngest of three kids, Robinson acts like the oldest — even if his two sisters don’t listen to him. "He tries to school his sisters and tell them what to do," Little said, laughing. "He thinks he knows more."

As a fifth-year senior, Robinson has compiled nearly the same rushing stats that he racked up in his previous four seasons with the Tide combined. From 2017 to '20, Robinson had 274 carries for 1,361 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. This season, he has had 249 carries for 1,275 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns with one more game — Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship against Georgia (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) — to go.

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If you ask him, though, Robinson thinks he could have played better this season. He has been hampered by injuries and hasn’t consistently put up big numbers. That said, his best game came when both he and Alabama needed it most, as he ran for 204 yards on 26 carries in a 27-6 playoff victory over Cincinnati that clinched the Tide's spot in the title game. Robinson was named most outstanding offensive player for his performance.

"I’m really proud of B-Rob," Saban said after the game. "He’s a fine young man, and to come back to play this year, he's really created a lot of value for himself."

Little noted that she hadn’t seen her son that happy in a long time. "I think he was really pleased with himself and pleased that he could showcase his talent," she said. "That has been a problem — he feels like people haven’t been able to see what he can do."

There were times when Robinson got frustrated and considered leaving Alabama. He also could have bolted for the NFL after last season, instead of taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted players due to COVID-19.

Cincinnati couldn't handle Brian Robinson in the Cotton Bowl, as the Tide tailback ran for 204 yards on 26 carries. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Robinson often turned to family and friends, as well as a support system at Alabama, which helped him through those tough days. Ultimately, he decided it was worth it to stay, and now he’s living out his dream at his dream school.

"I’m proud of him for weighing his options and staying," said Little, who also noted how ecstatic everybody in their Tuscaloosa community is for her son. "To me, once you commit to something, it says a lot about you if you stick with it. I know it was hard."

Adams uses Robinson as an example for his players at Oxford High School, where he now coaches. He wants them to understand that even if you’re not getting the minutes you think you deserve now, it doesn’t mean you won’t get them later.

And even though the transfer portal works out for some players — such as running back Jerome Ford, who left Alabama two years ago and became a star at Cincinnati — that option doesn’t necessarily mean things will be better on the other side.

Robinson hopes to share that message whenever he goes back to Hillcrest or talks to recruits.

"Everybody’s story is different," he said. "Regardless of when your opportunity is going to be granted, you still have to prepare for it. When they open the doors for you, if you’re not ready and you didn’t prepare yourself, then you wasted your time complaining.

"I just spent less time complaining about when I was going to get an opportunity [and spent] more time training and working toward what I was going to do when I did get the opportunity."

Laken Litman covers college football and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously worked for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Indianapolis Star.