Micheal Robinson Shares Story on How He Almost Was a Steeler: ‘Gonna Get You in This Third Round’

Former San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson shared an interesting draft day story on NFL Total Access Wednesday. It turns out the former Penn State quarterback, who switched over to fullback in the NFL, was nearly drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.

“The Pittsburgh Steelers called me in the middle of the third round,” Robinson said. “They said, it was a scout, ‘Hey, Mike, we love you. We’re gonna get you in this third round. They had two third-round picks. Their first third-round pick, they got a punt returner or kick returner. I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, I did that at Penn State, but hey, whatever, they’ll get me with the next third-round pick’… Early the next day, I’m dejected, I’m upset.”

The return specialist that the Steelers drafted was Willie Reid out of Florida State at 95th overall. The Steelers’ first third-round pick in 2006 was safety Anthony Smith out of Syracuse at 83rd overall. Reid played only two seasons with the Steelers, while Smith lasted three seasons.

After getting passed on by Pittsburgh twice, Robinson was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (100th overall).

Robinson was an important part of Penn State history. “M-Rob” helped lead Penn State to an 11-1 record in 2005 that brought the program back to prominence after four losing records in five seasons. Penn State finished No. 3 in the country.

After college, Robinson played eight seasons with the 49ers (2006-09) and Seahawks (2010-13), making the Pro Bowl in 2011. He won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in his last season.

Robinson, who was a panelist on the NFL Network’s pregame show for the Steelers-Raiders game in 2022, said that Franco Harris, who passed away unexpectedly three days before his jersey retirement ceremony, was “a Nittany Lion just like I am.”

“The football world and the world in general just lost a great human being,” Robinson said on the air.

Robinson then told a story about an interaction that involved himself, Harris and the man who coached both at Penn State more than three decades apart, Joe Paterno.

The story took place after the 2006 Orange Bowl, where Robinson quarterbacked Penn State to a 26-23 3OT win over coach Bobby Bowden and Florida State.

”Joe Paterno, myself and Franco were sitting around and Joe Paterno told anybody that was listening, ‘these are the two best players I’ve ever coached,’ Robinson said.

Joe Paterno’s son, Jay, was Robinson’s quarterbacks coach at Penn State. He shared the story on his Facebook page earlier Saturday, recalling that his father said Harris and Robinson were “two of the best & most unselfish football players I’ve ever coached.”