Former Penn State Seahawks react to sex scandal

By Liz Mathews

Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson is a product of Penn State University and head coach Joe Paterno.

Having played for the Nittany Lions from 2002 to 2005, Robinson helped his team to a Big Ten Conference title in 2005 and was himself named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

“It’s a sad day to be a Penn Stater,” Robinson told reporters at his locker on Wednesday afternoon.

The former Penn State quarterback was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2006 draft and was utilized as both a running back and a fullback. Robinson was released by San Francisco at the end of training camp in 2010 and signed with Seattle as a free agent.

Robinson currently is a special teams co-captain for the Seahawks and a leader in the locker room.

Before addressing the current controversy and scandal surround his alma mater, Robinson said that he wanted to express his deep sorrow for the children involved.

“I have three kids myself and I can’t imagine what those families are going through today and have went through in the past,” Robinson said.

He also said that he didn’t agree with Paterno’s decision to retire at the end of the season.

“But that’s Joe,” Robinson said. “That’s the type of guy he is. He doesn’t want to be a distraction. He won’t want a lot of people talking about this.

“I know he wished he could could have had a lot of things back… he’s not a perfect guy. But what he stands for as a man and what he’s meant to college football and what he’s meant to me personally in my life — that’s another reason I’m so saddened today.”

Robinson earned both an advertising/public relations and a journalism degree from Penn State. He currently maintains his own website, The Real Robinson Report, where he provides unique insight into the NFL with video interviews of current coaches and athletes.

Former Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler also spoke with the media on Wednesday.

He too began with his thoughts on the children involved. “The kids here are the victims if these allegations are true,” Butler said. “That’s the first thing, we pray for those families and that everything works out for them. Because lost among this is that you never want any crimes against kids.”

And Butler was also quick to defend his former college head coach.

“If you just know the guy — the man that Joe is, that I’ve know over the years — obviously I know what he stands for and all of that so, he definitely has our full support here.”

Butler was activated on Tuesday from the physically unable to perform list (PUP), after missing the first six weeks of the season recovering from the compound leg fracture he suffered last December in the game against the 49ers.

Both Robinson and Butler declined to be interviewed by camera.