Memphis signs Delmon Robinson
Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 4, 2010
Vicksburg High product Delmon Robinson is getting a third opportunity on the college gridiron.
The former Mississippi State and Copiah-Lincoln Community College player signed on Wednesday with the University of Memphis, where he will play cornerback.
He was recruited heavily by Memphis defensive coordinator Jay Hopson, whose relationship with Robinson goes back to Robinson’s recruitment while in high school. Hopson, who was working at Michigan at the time, is a Vicksburg native and former Warren Central standout who coached at his alma mater Ole Miss and Southern Miss before arriving in Memphis.
“I really like my coach (Hopson) and the the guys,” Robinson said. “They’re going to be a real good football team. Memphis is a great opportunity for me, farther from football, education-wise.”
He will have two years of eligibility remaining and picked Memphis over South Florida and Alcorn State.
The first two years of his college career have been an odyssey for Robinson, who played wideout in his first two college stops.
He elected to transfer in the summer of 2009 from Mississippi State, where he played one season under departed coach Sylvester Croom. As a freshman in 2008, he caught 12 passes for 125 yards and returned eight kicks for 134 yards.
After leaving Starkville for undisclosed reasons, Robinson signed a letter of intent to play at Co-Lin in Wesson. He appeared in five games for the Wolves, recording 20 catches for 247 yards, but was later dismissed for undisclosed reasons.
Robinson, who played primarily wingback and some defense at Vicksburg, will play at corner for the first time since the 2008 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game, when he covered Alabama wideout Julio Jones. Against top-flight competition, Robinson performed admirably.
“I played some corner in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and got to cover Julio (Jones),” Robinson said. “We shut him down.”
Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com