“You must understand your why.”
For David Martin-Robinson, his “why” has taken him from Hempfield High School to Temple University to the National Football League, where he just completed his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans.
And last week, his “why” brought him back to Hempfield to speak to a large room full of current high school student-athletes. In his message, he emphasized the need for them to find their passion and to build relationships, while stressing the importance of team, personal accountability and growing together.
Sharing the journey
Martin-Robinson’s words Thursday afternoon offered an opportunity for his former coach to reflect on his impact.
“David was the kind of player you dream of coaching,” said current Hempfield head football coach George Eager, who was Martin-Robinson’s receivers coach in high school. “He always had a great attitude and hunger to get better. What might be most impressive about David is he was always a team-first guy.”
For Martin-Robinson, that team extended far beyond his fellow classmates. In addition to student-athletes, the room was also filled with former teachers and coaches who aided in his journey.
“Countless people helped me along the way,” Martin-Robinson said. “That list is a mile long.”
Martin-Robinson’s journey began in elementary school, when he developed a passion for competing. In early elementary school, he played flag football with his brother, Darien, who played football at Hempfield and later at Shippensburg. He started playing tackle football in third grade and he was hooked.
He recalls watching football and not really being cognizant of statistics or player names but being in awe of players making “cool plays,” longing to one day be the one making those plays. His first mentor was his father, Andre Robinson, who played running back at Fordham University from 1993-96, and executed one of those cool plays with an 87-yard touchdown run against Bucknell, the fifth-longest play in program history.
As Martin-Robinson began to get more serious about football, his dad became not only his biggest fan, but also a voice in his ear, pushing him and reminding him of what it would take. He remembers his dad sitting him down and telling him you “have to want it more than you want to breathe.”
Before his sophomore year, his dad gave him a bike and told him he would have to make the four-mile ride from Colebrook apartments over to the high school for summer training. Martin-Robinson chuckles now thinking about the steep hill he had to climb on Harrisburg Pike before a grueling morning football workout that transitioned into lifting for basketball. He then, of course, had to bike back home.
Facing challenges
As Martin-Robinson’s message turned back to his “why,” he reminded the students they would have to make sacrifices in order to reach their goals. Part of that sacrifice undoubtedly includes overcoming setbacks, and Martin-Robinson can certainly relate to that. While at Temple, he had to endure the stresses of the COVID-19 shutdown as well as a litany of injuries, including a broken collarbone, a broken foot, and a torn hamstring. At the conclusion of his college career, he had to battle when he signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent, and fought to keep his dream alive.
In high school, Martin-Robinson competed in track in addition to playing football and basketball.
“Playing multiple sports paid dividends,” he said. “It helped me to build more relationships.”
He also believes playing multiple sports helps to develop the mind and body in ways that specializing in one sport cannot, and he pointed out that most NFL players were multi-sport athletes in high school.
As for recruiting advice, Martin-Robinson said “your film is your resume.” He added that people are always watching your actions, then paused for a few seconds to look around to see if anyone was taking notes, reminding all that play on the field is only a fraction of what goes into making a team successful.
“People don’t realize that away from the field, so much more goes into football,” Martin-Robinson said. “The thing that separates you from others is how you prepare, learning in team meetings, sharpening your mind, just like being a student.”
Student first
Martin-Robinson emphasized that a young athlete’s work in the classroom is absolutely vital to their development.
While at Hempfield, Martin-Robinson strove to be a leader in the classroom as well, believing “how you do anything is how you do everything.”
He added, “If you do one thing well, you will do others just as well.”
Adam Hinde remembers Martin-Robinson as a humble, hard-working kid in his 11th grade English class.
“Even though he was being heavily recruited by many colleges and universities during his time with me,” Hinde said, “he always entered class with a smile, ready to work.”
And Ryan Martin, who taught the then-sophomore Martin-Robinson algebra, shared a similar sentiment.
“The best part was how humble David was,” he reflected. “He approached math class the same way he approached Friday nights — with diligence, excellence and hard work. He was always very respectful, had a smile on his face and was a joy to work with.”
A lasting impact
How can you measure the impact Martin-Robinson’s insights had on the teens in attendance? The dismissal bell rang, and not one student got up to leave. Connections made, relationships built, message delivered, and another goal achieved.
“Words can’t describe how proud I am of David,” Eager said. “Success hasn’t changed him. Having him come back to speak at Hempfield is moving. It shows how he is still invested in the community.”
Martin-Robinson said Eager, who played wide receiver at Manheim Township and Franklin & Marshall, helped take him to the next level for two reasons: “He helped me develop more precision with running routes,” he said, “and he gave me a more realistic understanding of the college recruiting process.”
More importantly, Martin-Robinson credits Eager with being very proactive in giving him opportunities to stay connected with Hempfield so that he can give back to the community, one of his major goals.
As far as his goals for the upcoming NFL season and his future career, Martin-Robinson hopes to build upon a rookie year that saw him contribute on special teams and make his first catch on offense.
He shared a story about hanging out with Titans starting tight end Chig Okonkwo at his house. He asked the third-year veteran about his ultimate goal and Okonkwo’s answer stopped him in his tracks: “Gold jacket.”
That’s a reference, of course, to the honor bestowed on those enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Martin-Robinson said he views this as a reminder to constantly push himself to be the best version of himself every day.
