Mason Robinson, Former NFL Player, Learn How to Shock The World After 2 ACL Injuries
The speedy Mason Robinson was a highly recruited running back out of Somerville High School in New Jersey. Iowa, Boston College, Temple, Michigan State, Colorado, Maryland and Rutgers University all wanted Mason to play for their football team. One of the talking points in this episode is Mason's decision to be Ray Rice's protege at Rutgers University. Unfortunately, 2 ACL injuries altered the course of the football career he envisioned. Because of these injuries, Mason finished his time at Rutgers as a sixth year senior captain and was the team's fourth-string safety and special teams returner. This is not the typical resume of an NFL prospect, but Mason Robinson is not your typical athlete or man. After graduating from Rutgers, Mason spent time with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. During our interview he tells some great stories about his time in the NFL and his strategy for not getting star-struck.
"Rutgers WR/RB Mason Robinson out for the year with knee injury"
-NJ.com, September 10, 2009
After tearing his first ACL in 2009 while making a cut on a run against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the season-opener, Mason struggled on many levels. While watching from the sidelines, Mason battled depression and was put on academic probation. In this episode he talks about how it feels when the text's after games stopped pouring in and how he ultimately turned things around. A couple strategies Mason used to battle back were positive self-talk and the creation of "Dream Posters." Listen to the interview to learn how to make your own poster!
"Rutgers cornerback Mason Robinson suffers season-ending knee injury"
-NJ.com, September 6, 2011
Two years later and now playing corner back for the Scarlet Knights, Mason tore the ACL in his other knee during a non-contact drill. This injury couldn't have come at a worse time because he finally got the nod from Coach Greg Schiano to get the start against North Carolina Central in week 1 of the 2011 season. This would have meant that he would be starting over current NFL players like Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon (New England Patriots). This time, Mason never let himself get into that "dark place" like he did after his first knee injury, even when coaches were doubting his chances. Listen to the episode to hear how he handled the adversity dealt to him for a second time.
"Mason Robinson savors sixth and final season at Rutgers"
-NJ.com, August 25, 2012
Being named captain during his 6th season at Rutgers football as the team's 4th string safety is probably not what Mason had in mind when he walked in to the locker room and put the scarlet red helmet on for the first time. However, graduating from Rutgers with a masters degree, a 3.75 GPA and making it to the NFL is a testament to Mason's character and work ethic. Mason's versatility (willingness and ability to play multiple positions) is a major contributing factor to his successful recovery. Many people don't know that Mason was a third-string running back in high school when he received his first college scholarship offer. At every level, he made the most of every opportunity he was given, every time he stepped on the field. It didn't matter if he was playing running back, corner, safety or kick/punt returner. Mason also credits his success to his knack for being a student of the game and gives some strategies for watching film for young athletes.
Mason overcame a lot of adversity before he worked himself back to running a 4.27 40-yard dash and and to picking-off my favorite football player of all-time, Tim Tebow, in a pre-season game against the New England Patriots. This blog post doesn't give justice to how jacked up I was after recording this interview, so do yourself a favor and give it a listen whether you're injured or not. I promise you will be left feeling like you can and will SHOCK THE WORLD.
Mason is now training and mentoring upcoming athletes in the NJ area through his "Shock The World" company. I have no doubt you will want to work with him after listening to this episode (links below).
