Larger text
Smaller text
Print
E-mail
South Carolina cornerback visits Steelers
Jerry DiPaola is the Tribune-Review high school sports editor. He can be reached via e-mail.
"I won't get into all the names, because it will (take) a long time," said Robinson, who might be the second cornerback drafted next week.
But he said his visit to the Steelers' practice facility Thursday was different.
"A lot of teams, I think, they just bring you in to see what kind of personality you have," he said, "but (the Steelers) seem to be serious about drafting a cornerback."
If the list of draft prospects invited to Pittsburgh is any indication, the Steelers are working hard to find a young cornerback or two to help rebuild their leaky secondary.
Of the 19 players invited into town, six are cornerbacks, including the two who arrived yesterday -- Robinson and Ricardo Colclough of Division II Tusculum (Tenn.) College.
"It's a real good situation," Robinson said. "I know they need corners. That's not taking anything away from the corners that they have. I think it will be a situation for me to come in and prove myself and play right away."
Robinson, 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, moved from safety after his sophomore season at South Carolina and has played cornerback only two years.
"I'm real raw right now, but my ears are open," he said.
Colclough was recruited by Division I schools, but inadequate grades forced him to Kilgore (Texas) Junior College and, later, to Tusculum. He said he could have attended a Division I school after leaving Kilgore, but he didn't want to sit out a season.
At Tusculum, he was dominant, with 15 interceptions in two years. He was named the small-college defensive player of the year, last season. He also is a return prospect, who averaged 28.7 and 40 yards per kickoff return at Tusculum and Kilgore, respectively.
Note: The Steelers will meet with one more prospect today, reaching the NFL limit of 20. Visits are not permitted after today. ... The team also met yesterday with Memphis defensive tackle Eric Taylor, a 308-pounder who has run a 4.83 40. ... Penn State tight end Matt Kranchick and Stanford long snapper were among previous visitors.
