Chop Robinson – August 14, 2024
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024
LB Chop Robinson
(Did you grow up a Washington Commanders fan, a Baltimore Ravens fan? Who was your favorite team and player back then?) – “Growing up, I was a Ravens fan back when they had Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, all those guys. But my dad is a big Commanders fan and he loves the Commanders especially when Kirk Cousins was there, Alex Smith, all those guys. So I’ve kind of been around it my whole life. My grandparents are Commanders fans. They live around right by the stadium, kind of grew up around that area. So Commanders, it’s cool, but I’ll see them tomorrow.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips kind of joked with us the other day that you make a big play – maybe a sack, a tackle for loss – and you never celebrate. And he’s trying to get you to emote a little bit more. Is that true?) – “Yeah, that’s just how I am. I’m just a next-play mentality type of guy, but ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips), he’s getting it out of me. When I made a few plays against the Falcons in the practice, the joint practice, I was getting a little excited. He was like, ‘I need more of that.’ He was getting excited for me, so the more I just get confident and making plays, more stuff will start to come out.”
(And then to follow up on that, what’s it been like having him back on the field and what has your relationship been like even before he could practice when he was in meeting rooms and on the sideline?) – “Having him on the field is just insane. Like just seeing how big he is and how good he can move and watching it from TV – because I’ve been watching him since he was in college – so watching it from TV and then being on the field with him and seeing it in person is just worlds different. And then off the field, he is just like a mentor to me. We go in the film room, he talks to me, helps me out, gives me keys and everything. I’m just a listener, listening to the guys that have been out here making plays.”
(Do you think you’ll play in the next game?) – “Yeah, I’ll be able the next game.”
(How will you approach your first pro game?) – “I just try not to overthink it. Just go out there, play football, have fun. At the end of the day, it’s just football, so just go out there, listen to my coaches. I know the playbook so I just go out there and play.”
(We’ve seen a lot of plays from you over the last week and a half, setting the edge obviously, getting to the quarterback. Where specifically has either Outside Linebackers Coach Ryan Crow or Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver or Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark told you they’ve seen improvement from you in the last week and a half?) – “Really just my hands and setting the edge. Sometimes I could just set the edge with just using my shoulder and stuff, but getting off the ball with my speed, getting my hands inside the tight end or tackle and being able to set it and just go from two hands to one hand. I’ve just been good with that, so I just learned that from Coach (Ryan) Crow and Coach (Austin) Clark and everybody.”
(At this point in camp how do you feel physically and how would you compare the grind to the college grind of camp?) – “It’s definitely different, especially being out here in the heat. You don’t get used to it, but it gets a little better. So just taking it one day at a time and just getting better trying to find something every day to get better.”
(Did the folks in Maryland, are they a little mad that you left to go to Pennsylvania or do you think most of them understand why you made that choice?) – “I mean, a lot of people were frustrated when I transferred there, but the real ones knew. They still wished the best for me and everything like that, so it turned out to be the best thing for me anyway.”
(I know you’re working hard, but is there a special element to the fact that if you see some play time, your first game will be against I know your dad’s favorite team? Is there something special there in your eyes like just the family aspect?) – “No, honestly just me playing in an NFL preseason game, that’ll be the biggest thing for my family.”
(If you get a sack, will it count or no because it’s preseason?) – “No, it doesn’t count. It’s preseason. (laughter) Once the regular season comes though, it’ll count.”
(Do you have a lot of family down here for Saturday’s game?) – “My dad, all my family is coming down. My siblings and everybody will be here.”
(Your dad will be in Dolphins colors?) – “Of course. (laughter)”
(We talked about your celebration, your next-play mentality. Is LB Jaelan Phillips working with you on celebrations, when you get that regular season sack?) – “Once I showed him my chop celebration, we were just talking in a meeting room. I was showing him my chop celebration. He was like, ‘When you get that sack, I better see that,’ or he’s going to be mad. So when I get that sack, I’m definitely going to hit that celebration for him.”
(Did you play with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s brother Taulia at Maryland?) – “Yeah, I played with him – that was my freshman year – that was his first year at Maryland.”
(How are they similar or different?) – “I mean, both of those guys are good. One is right-handed, one is left-handed. (laughter) Tua is definitely – you can tell he’s really advanced especially being on this level. No-look passes and everything. Every time I get hit with that in practice, it’s just different because you’ve never seen that before.”
(When I watched highlights from Penn State I noticed at least last year, you often rushed into the opponent’s right tackle. Is that a position that you’re most comfortable at – rushing over the right tackle?) – “I mean, I’m right-handed, so I like just having my right hand down when I’m getting off the edge. I’m good to rush from both sides, but of course that’s my most comfortable side but I can do both.”
(You had a good play in walkthrough where it looked like you read the screen, you were kind of there to either get a TFL or no gain. Is the defensive scheme kind of coming easier to you now at this point in training camp? What did you see specifically on that?) – “I’m understanding it. I’ve got the whole playbook down so I’m understanding everything, listening to Coach (Ryan) Crow and just going through drills that we work on every day in indy. We work on the screen drill when the linemen just let you go by past, put that foot in the ground and go back. So it’s just muscle memory from working on that every day to actually coming to the game.”
