What's Good command Is Family?
Brian Corper Junior here with your starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. He is our first guy up on our Next Man Up Podcast. We're talking about him being a mama's boy. We're talking about the way he's acclivated into this offense. We're talking about his mentality and also, b Rob, lets us know what him and our Commander's family needs from the commander's fans. In week three, What's Good Commander's Family?
Brian Coper Junior here, And this is your first ever episode of the Next Man Up Podcast where I sit down with your favorite Commanders players and we get into the guy behind the helmet. You know, we're not really talking, excell and as we're talking more about life, more about what makes these men who they are, and when it comes to stories, I don't know if there's a better
one in the NFL right now. So of course my first guest had to be Brian Robinson Jr. Our starting running back, second year man out of Alabama.
Brother, how you doing today, man?
Great?
I'm doing good man. I appreciate you.
Man.
Now I gotta go right into last Sunday Bro two touchdowns and crunch time in the fourth quarter.
What was going right for you, Sunday.
Man, just really getting the rhythm, you know, finally catching the rhythm of the game, and you know, just seeing you know how that was going to attack me, and uh, you know what was the best best way for me to attack them?
Man? Uh?
You know by the time they start feeding me the ball, I had it all figured out. You know, I knew how I wanted to attack. Yeah, I just made the most of my opportunities.
And brother, you definitely made the most of your opportunity.
And after one of your touchdowns, we in Mount High, but you jumped into the fans, right, you jumped into the stands You got a bunch of Commander fans there.
What was that like? Knowing that Commander fans?
Was that?
Did you know they was there when you jumped in?
Like?
What was that? What was that? Like?
What's how went into celebration mode?
You know I had already kind of went towards the back wall and I seen a huddler Commanders fans and I was like, you know, if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it now, you know, right here in front of them. So you know that was that sighting man, like I always you know, I've seen people jump jump over the wall and you know, jump in the stands stuff, you know, in the league, and you know that was my first time just you know, getting an opportunity to it.
Just it was a clear opportunity. I just took it.
Is it a little switet of being able to do that and like an opponent's territory, like really be able to vibe with your fans even though you're not home.
Yeah.
I think that was probably what kind of influenced it a little more like I don't even like, I don't even think about jumping in the stands when I'm at home, but like, you know, to just jump in their stands with my fans and you know, you know, make it feel like home just a little bit.
You know that that felt good?
Yeah.
Man, we got a lot of football to talk about. But before that, man, I want to really get into you.
Man.
Like I said, you got an amazing story and you've been through a lot of trials and tribulations. Not a lot of people have a rookie season like you had. You know what I'm saying. You have the incident, you come back and you really show out, you know what I mean, you come back very quickly. October ninth, twenty twenty two. What does that day mean to you?
Uh?
That was a breakthrough day for me, you know, you know, being able to just you know, come out of the shill.
You know that I was, I was hitting under you know, you know, dealing with all the things I was dealing with, you know, mentally and physically, and just finally being able to just come from under this shilling, you know, just you know, you know, you know, step back into my element, you know, going back into you know, doing doing what I love to do, you know, in front of you know, exciting people and fans you know who, uh who was very excited and loved to see me back on the field,
and I uh, you know, all that energy you know, just kind of kept me going in the right direction mentally, so uh you know I was more than no prepared to you know, get back on the field.
Yeah.
Man, you mentioned those mental hurdles you were going through. Man, talk about that a little bit. You know, that's that's four weeks that you were not expecting to miss, right your rookie season. It's got to be a lot of questions, maybe some self doubt, what was going through your mind during that process and that healing process.
Uh, not that.
I was just really disappointed, you know, from you know, what I was dealing with. You know, a lot, been through so much my life to get to this point, and you know, just worked so hard put in you know, you unconditional time and no effort, you know, to get to this point. And uh, finally you know, got drafted, or after spending five years in school, finally got drafted.
You know, guy here, you know, got started to get comfortable here, you know, around the people and you know, the fans and uh you know, the guys in the locker room. And you know, right as soon as I got comfortable about it, go into my rookie season, you know, uh, I almost get everything taken away from me, you know, just at a blink of an eye, you know, with
something that literally had nothing to do with me. And that's probably the most disappointed thing about it, you know, just having to deal with that face to face, you know, and you know, you don't really you know, set yourself up for that and you just got to deal with it in a moment. But you just got to keep striving, and you know, expect to come out there back end, you know, with your head up high.
What did you learn about yourself during that time?
I just really learned that I'm a super super resilient you know person, you know, and I don't have you know, a lick of quitting me. You know, I'm a fighter, you know, regardless of you know, what I'm dealing with
or battling with. It can be the you know, the worst thing, you know, like having two gunshot wounds, one in the hip and one on in the knee and my dominant you know, running leg and still having the mindset that you know, uh, I'm gonna recover from this and I'm a comeback and I'm a I'm still gonna dominate, you know, and never never doubting that, you know, I'm a be able to shape back from this and still come and dominate.
You know, at this level, you've definitely came back and dominated man. And you know, going through these things, sometimes we could feel like one on the island.
Sometimes we feel a little alone.
Who is there for you during this process of the healing process and getting back that helped you keep your mind right, that helped you stay strong.
Was anybody particular that helped you in that.
Uh, I get credit.
You know everybody around this building, you know, uh you know Coach Bavera, mister Mayhew, Coach Jordan, you know, everybody in the training room. You know, they really comforted me, you know during that time. And my family and my mom she uh you know she had to you know, put down work for a couple of weeks to you know, you know, fly up here, you know, just take care of me at home and make sure I was good, you know until I got up and moving back on my feet. And uh so you know I had you know,
you know people in my corner. You know that you know, I really care about that really care about me. That you know, just showed me you know how much you know they care about me and my mental and uh and wanted me to you know, get back you know, to myself again.
Yeah.
And I'm sure you had a whole city behind you as well, tuscal Loose, Alabama that where're from, right, talk about Tuscaloosa and what that did for shaping the man that is Brian Robinson Jr.
H Just you know, growing up there, you know, very very very limited resources. You know, you just you gotta you gotta be a different you gotta you know, want to you know, stand out, want to stick out, you know, in order to get you know, the recognition that you want, you know, in order to make it.
Up out of that.
And U uh it was a grind. It was a process, you know, you know, it's a journey. But I appreciate you know, every every single step of the way. You know, uh, all the lessons I learned, you know, uh, you know, all the people I met, you know, people that came in my life and left out of my life, you know, staying at home and touch Clusive to go to school at the University Alabama. Uh, you know, you know, it went a little bit longer than I expected as my you know, a college career. But if I could go
back and do it again, I wouldn't. I want change. I want to change a thing. And you know, touch Clusive really you know, made me the man I am today. You know, I literally being in touch cluse to my whole life, literally from the time I was born.
Until you know, Washington called me.
So I'm very thankful you know, from you know for uh, you know what I came from and you know what has helped me, you know, turn myself into.
And man, we're thankful that you ended up here, man, and that you went through that journey to get to this point. And you said it yourself right, Tuscalusive made you the man you are. But a lot of that also is that support system you mentioned your mom. You mentioned your mother. Now me, I'm a mama's boy. I don't know if you want to call yourself moms. Well, my mama's boy. And I know you and your.
Mom have a really close relationship.
Can you talk to us about you and your mother's relationship, what she's done for you, the sacrifice she made you mentioned, man, she put her job on hold for you just to make sure you was healthy. Man, talk about all those sacrifices and what this lady has done for you.
Honestly, that was probably just the minimum of you know, sacrifice I felt like she'd have made for me in my life. You know she was she was a single parent, you know, uh, with three kids and a knucklehead young boy like me, and you know, I was a handful I was allowed to deal with. But she, you know, she you know, she went above and beyond, you know, to make sure that I was always staying on track. You know, doing the right things, going to school and
for the right purpose. And you know, if I wanted to play sports that you know, I was gonna I'm gonna take it serious. And uh you know, she didn't. She didn't like slack off of me. She didn't know, give me, you know, any room to you know, just slack off. And she stayed on me, you know, every
single you know, step of the way. And the older I got, the more I started to understand, you know, you know what she was hounding it to me, you know, as a snow growing up, and you know, you know, as I got older and started to understand it, and I just started, you know, just to continue to apply everything she taught me, and you know how she raised me. I just continue to apply that to my you know, my daily routine and my lifestyle. And uh, I just keep that in the back of my head.
And now that you're older, and now that some of those sacrifices she made, we're seeing them pay off in real time. Right, what are your conversations like, now, do you guys have those moments where you like, Mama, look like it was all worth it?
Like, do you guys have those moments together?
We actually had the moments where I sit back and I just kind of talk about like all the stuff that I didn't admit when I was young, you know, like I sit there and you know, I finally come to truth about stuff that I probably kept a secret from her, stuff that like she just didn't know about it, and we just you know, we just talked like adults now, you know, I just kind of, you know, I just tell her about like I'm like, man, you remember, like you probably don't remember, but I did this and you
didn't know about it.
Now I'm telling you.
Know right, you know, you know, and I just feel like we had a point out where like, you know, she knows what, you know, what she raised me into, she knows you know, my intent, you know know how my mind is set, and uh, you know when we have those types of conversations, like you know, I don't expect her to like, you know, throw a fit at me, like how she probably would back you know, ten fifteen years ago, but you know it just we continue to build that relationship and I think we you know, we
got a pretty strong relationship.
Yeah.
Now it's just me and you talking, right, Anybody else is say, anybody watching? So can you give me one of those inside stories where you're like, Mom, this is what was one of those things you had to break to tell her? Like, Mom, did you know I was getting into this when I was at the crib? Like do you add one of those you can share with us as appropriate for the command.
So I was in the house.
It was just me and my sisters, like my oldest sister, my oldest she she just turned thirty one, okay, so that was the oldest step was in my house. And my middle sister she is twenty nine right now. So my mom used to work all the time, so it's like just me and my sisters in the house. I used to be getting so aggravated and annoyed just being in the house with them all the time. So so one day I had some fireworks. I had like a
little small little wonder the little light up fireworks. I must have lit up the firework and threw it on my sister bed in the in the crib. So I lit the firework up and I threw it on my sister bed and it popped and.
Everybody just got to flying every way.
And she told me she was gonna tell on me, like to just get under my skin for like the next week two weeks, Like she just kept picking with me, like like if I ain't do something, Yeah, she tryed to hang it over my head for like two weeks and then like eventually I just like, you know what you can tell on me now, like I don't even care, Like I don't even care to tell now you know about to keep hanging it over my head. So she
really didn't never tell on me. And then like eventually, like I had the conversation I taught I told my mama about it, Like.
She was livid.
To this day. So she had no idea that you actually had done that.
There was no like smoke like any like nothing on the walls or nothing like that.
Oh you lucky that she didn't pay like she used to work so much, so when she go home, she ain't paying that much attention.
To what we got going on.
Then you know, by that time she getting home, we almost in bed getting ready for the next day.
So like she ain't paying attention for real.
So I'm really waiting up to see if my sister gonna tell on me when she get home.
You know, those similist stories are fun, man. You know another story I heard actually, because I mean clearly you a big dude.
Now you're a big guy. You got to be a big guy to be running back, right.
I heard your mom used to have to walk around with your birth certificate because it's certain sporting events.
They didn't believe you was the age that you were saying you wasn't that true?
Yeah?
So like my little league football games, I just come out having a game, probably had like four or five touchdowns first quarter, first half or something like that, and something light. Yeah, and the first thing, you know, the opposed team would want to do is you know, they'll do that for anybody they thought was just too talented or too big for you know, the kids that was playing,
which is understandable. Like if I had a kid on the field and they had my kid running up against some prototypical type of no young guy, I'm like, hold on something, right, they make sure, you know, so it's a fusic no times where they just stop the game and check my birth certificate to make sure I was you know the age, you know, the age group in the weight limit, you know, to be playing like a skill position in like seven eight years old.
Yeah, yeah, that gotta be a little ego boost though for like a seven or eight year old kid right to be like, yo, I'm this good that they checking my birth certificate. That kind of tell you then, like, okay, man, I might be onto something with this football thing.
I didn't think about it much then because I was just I was just having so much fun just being you know, being a young boy just playing playing ball. Like I was just having so much fun, Like I want thinking about like, you know, who was paying that much attention to me to stop the game to check my age? Just be kind of like it really kind of used to annoy me because I'm like, bro, I'm
the same age as everybody else. I might be just a little bit more more than them, But that don't mean you gotta you know, isolated, right, you gotta do me like that. So that was like that's kind of
how I used to feel about it. I didn't like, I didn't like it, wow, Like I ain't think it made me feel feel good, you know, Like I just didn't like the fact that like they used to just judge that, like like I would go out and play with some kids just try to make myself look good or something like that, I'm the age group, you know, appropriate age, appropriate size, deal with it.
Yeah, And a lot of folks can't fathom greatness R, especially when they haven't seen it before, and clearly you're.
One of one.
When was that moment when you were like, Okay, this is for real, Like this is I really can make a lifestyle, really a career out of this football thing.
When did it hit you?
I think it was the transition from pee wee football in the middle school. When I took that transition, I was a little nervous. I went to a you know, one of you know, the best middle schools in my city at the time, so you know, it was some it was some ball players over there, and uh, you know the fact that I just you know, came straight in and uh, you know, going from pe weed to middle school, it's like, you know, always making that next that next jump gonna have you feeling like am I
ready for the next level? Like you know, it's like going from you know, D one to the NFL. You're still thinking about it, like, h like, I know, I played you know, SEC D one ball, but am I ready to do that in the NFL?
Though?
You know, so taking that jump from pee wee to middle school and just coming straight in and you know, fitting right in, you know, being you know fast enough, you know, physical enough, you know, having already having a playmaking ability to you know be on the field with those guys like started to help me, you know, gain the confidence and I started get on the field actually play with those guys and you know, being a playmaker that I always being just at the next level already.
You know, I just kind of had that in the back of my head, like I got to take a step or two, you know, every year so that I can you know, be a step or two ahead of the guys in my in my in my class, or you know, around my age group, you know. And I just seen that, like, you know, I was a step or two ahead of most.
Guys that was around my age group.
And I knew if I just outworked some you know, outwork guys and just you know out competed those guys you know, year up the year. Uh, you know, it would set me up for you know, successful and.
To constantly outwork your piers.
Right, It's not something easy to do, especially when you keep going higher levels, higher levels, higher levels. Talk about your mother and the way she used to work and the way she used to grind and get after it. How did that affect your work mindset? And say, yo, this time, I get after it every day.
It's like my mom she very independent, self motivated, you know, and you know, I just see her, you know, work so hard and just be so independent, like, you know, just bring her own energy to just make sure that we was good.
And you know, just.
Seeing that, you know, and I'm like, I'm a I'm a bad player. And when I'm out here on the field, I'm a competitor too. You know, I hate to lose, you know, just all of my traits, like I just I hate to lose. I'm a competitor. I'm self motivated, like I got all those traits. And just seeing how hard my mom do it by herself, it was like it was hard for me to make an excuse on.
Why I couldn't apply myself.
And she used to, you know, hold me accountable to you know, all the small things, even when I was young, So like it was hard for me to you know, not apply myself when you know, just see how hard she used to just go, you know, for us at home, and she used to do it all by myself.
And man, I mean clearly it helped you get to where you're at. Man, I don't think many people could have handled the obstacles you had your rookie year and come back so quickly. I mean, four weeks out, come back week five. We talked about October nine. Now, brother, you got the coldest walk out I've probably ever seen. Man, I need to go back there with you. I need you to talk to me about that many men's playing. Did you know the song was playing? Did you know
that was coming? What's going through your mind right there? Man, you are finally fulfilling your dream to be on an NFL stage.
Talk about it, man, I honestly I was so emotional, Like I didn't I didn't.
I didn't know about the song preference.
I ain't know who you know, preferred the song or you know, decided to play it.
You know.
It just kind of like it caught me off guard, just as much as it probably caught a lot of
more people out guard. Like, but I was so emotional, just kind of caught up any emotions of you know, about to finally be able to get my first career snap, you know, and just being able to take the field again, and you know, the entrance was you know, it was it was it was lit like it was it was exciting, you know, just because you know, I was listened to fifteen minutes my whole life and like just that specific song like men and Man if you listen to it,
like clearly, like you know exactly what he's saying. Yeah, So, like it just was all we was just all working together, you know, just for the perfect comeback entrance.
Real and it really was the perfect comeback.
Man.
And now we're in year two, two games and you got three touchdowns? Would you say right now at this point, because like I said, you didn't have a regular rookie season, right, would you say, right now at this point, you're fully comfortable, You're fully back, You fully feel like yourself again.
I definitely feel like I'm going one hundred miles an hour in the right direction. You know, I can't really tell you, like, you know, what my body was dealing with, just with the trauma like gunshots and stuff like that, but it's something that I feel like I can, you know, eventually be able to put behind me.
And it's working progress.
And I've been working my butt off, you know that I've been working my butt off so that I can show up on Sundays and you know and look polished and you know, look healthy and good regardless of you know, what my body is, you know, going through like I said, you know uh what I went through, you know, just the trauma from you know, the gunshots. It's just a work in progress to get you know, my muscles and everything.
Back up the part.
So man, I'm enjoying the process, you know, uh, you know, still having fun, you know, making plays on Sundays. And I ain't gonna complain. I ain't gonna complain about it at all.
Oh man, that's beautiful, man, And a big part of this dominance that we're seeing only from you, but from this offense is new offensive coordinated, right Eric b Ene me talk about Eb for a little bit and what him being added to the puzzle has helped you and your journey as a second year running back.
Well, you know, Eb, he is his own guy, man, like he he literally is himself. You know, he can't he can't be nobody but himself, and I respect that bottom you know, Uh.
He pushed us, you know, to limits.
You know, you know some guy probably never thought their reach and push us to those limits as a unit and always making sure that we're playing for each other, you know, and not letting the guys you know, you know create you know, selfish behaviors and stuff like that. Just make sure that we all playing together. And I think that's the biggest thing that he emphasized that really helps us, you know, kind of get on the same
page as an offense. You know, the fact that you know, we all got to play for each other eventually, because if the line don't block, I can't run. If I don't block, the quarterback can't through. And just make sure that we all know that, like you know, we were all in this together, and just pushing us, you know, to those limits that you know, guys never thought that they can reach for real.
And he's clearly pushing you guys.
And another guy that seems to be getting pushed and seems to be doing very well along yourself, as Sam Howell. Right, you know, got a young quarterback here. You know a lot of expectations was on him coming into the season. How do you feel he's handle that? And just talk about Sam Howe as a leader for you guys.
Sam has been probably one of the most poised guys in the whole locker room dealing with you know what he's been dealing with. Uh, there's a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure to be a quarterback, a lot of pressure to you know, be a starting quarterback. And you know, you know, franchise like this, and you know a lot of you know fans that hyped about it, and it's a lot of pressure. And I feel like
he's probably the most poised. You know, he's humble. He you know, he he sticks to the game plan or you know what he needs to do to know, perform and help the team win. And regardless of you know, any ups and downs, you know, he keep his head up high and he thinks he's I feel like he has the perfect intent, you know, for you know, what we're trying to do for this offense and we're trying
to win games. We're trying to score points, and I feel like he has to you know, the right attitude you know for uh, you know, as a leader for our offense, you know, in our.
Whole locker room.
And we just got to continue to just keep him motivating, you know, keep him clean, keep him up the ground. And I feel like, hell, you know, he will continue to impress a lot of people.
You talk about winning games, baby, y'all two and o two and no first time y'all done this since twenty eleven. I don't know if you know that right What does that mean to you right now? Two and on week three coming up?
Does that mean to I mean a lot to me, honestly, you know, just you know, it's hard to do in this league, very very hard, you know, to win games, very hard to you know, remain undefeated, you know, week by week. And you know, I feel like, you know, that's just you know, part of us taking that next step, you know, to be something special, you know, uh. And I feel like guys got to keep that in the back of their head and realize, you know what what we're really up to, you know, this season and what
we can really accomplish. You know, we we're putting all the you know, the right habits out and you know, making sure that we stand on top of you know, what we got to do to play well and you know, not you know, come out of playing slow and try to pick up on the back end.
Just everything we need to do to come.
Out fast, play fast, and you know, finish the game strong and you know, continue to win games.
And we definitely believe, man, y'all gonna keep winning. We got a big, big matchup for week three, Buffalo Bills. We back here FedEx, We back home for the second time. That's your ISO cam right there, And need you look into that camera right there before I let you go, And I need you to talk to the fans and say what you need for them when y'all are back home at FedEx fil. I know they was rocking week one, even though it was raining. What do y'all need from
the fans week three? Before we end the show week three, what we need from the fans.
We need to show that that y'all gonna show up for us consistently, you know, Like we all know, we was all expecting everybody to show up, you know, week one. You know they was talking about, you know, it's being a sellout, you know, for you know, a week two weeks prior. We wanted to see if y'all gonna show up for us like that consistently, you know, and continue to bring the energy that we need in the stadium, and we're gonna we're gonna pull out the win for y'all.
Trust And man, I got no doubt about that.
Brian Man, I appreciate you man for being part of the first episode of the Next Man Up podcast command This Family. We will be back every week with a new Commanders play. Just getting into it, hanging out talking man. We appreciate your insight, Bro. I appreciate you being so honest and vulnerable with us Commander's family. This is the Next Man Up Podcasts. I'm Brian Coble Junr here with Brian Robinson.
JNIR appreciate you brother, sure, thanks love this interview where we got more for you.
Each and every week we'll be doing a sit down interview with your favorite Commander's players. You can find those on YouTube or stream them in podcasts for them in any place you get your podcasts. And if you're a podcast lover like myself, we have even more for you. We have to get loud podcasts where Fred Smooth does what he does best, gets loud, and we have the Command Center podcast where they will preview previous and upcoming games. That's Logan Paulson, That's Santana Moss, and that is of
course Fred Smooth. Guys have a lot of fun talking all things Commanders, and of course I have to mention my baby command Center that airs every Thursday on our YouTube and we get into.
All things Commanders all the time. Stay tuned for much much more