As Chop Robinson jogged off the field following Penn State's 27-6 victory over Rutgers on Saturday, the junior defensive end wanted to take a moment with the Nittanyville contingency before leaving the field.
There he took a photo with his fellow Penn State classmates who had a sign in his honor, just as they had shown off throughout the 2023 season. It was important for Robinson to get a photo with the sign and students on the heels of what was likely his final game at Beaver Stadium.
"Honestly, it's just seeing that sign from the beginning of the season. I just thought it was really cool and I knew I needed a picture because it'd be the last time that sign would be in the stadium," Robinson said.
Shortly after reminiscing about the moment, Robinson stopped short of officially declaring that he would head to the NFL upon the conclusion of the season, although that is the expectation for the Nittany Lions' star defender.
"I haven't really sat down and really thought about it, cause we still have one more game left. So I'll focus on Michigan State, spending time with the guys and then once the season's over I'll deal with that," Robinson said.
Chop Robinson has been a hot name in the NFL Draft space dating back to last season, which has carried into another strong year in 2023. The standout junior has been talked about as a potential first round selection in next April's NFL Draft, even being the No. 11 prospect on Pro Football Focus' top 75 prospects list.
The future is undoubtedly bright for Robinson, but that chapter will have to wait just a little longer as he is still committed to closing out the season strong and says the time will come for him to shift his focus.
"It's something I don't really think about during the season. I focus on you know, practice, games, so I just take it day-by-day and whenever that time comes, that's when I'll focus on that," Robinson said.
Most notably, that will include picking up a victory in the regular season finale against Michigan State and retain the Land Grant Trophy for a third straight year. The Nittany Lions fell short of their expectations of playing for a National Championship, but there is still work to be done for Robinson and Penn State.
"Of course that's not the standard for us. We want 12 [wins] of course, but we gotta go with what we gotta go with," Robinson said. "So with 10 wins. You know, we just gotta keep picking and keep working and just being consistent ---- trying to work our butts off every day and just being consistent. That's our main thing."
As his Nittany Lion career draws to a close, the former Maryland transfer took a moment to reflect on his time in Happy Valley, which has paid dividends both on and off the field since moving inside the conference two years ago.
"As a man it definitely helped," Robinson said. "Just being on time for things and just stuff like that. It definitely helped me with my mindset because --- I didn't think that was a big deal, you know, before I came here."
"For my former football career, just having the guys that chemistry and just being developed by coach Dion [Barnes] and Coach Scott when he was here, it's just, it has been a blessing," Robinson said. "I picked up on a lot of little things and it helped me in my career."
Since coming to Happy Valley prior to the 2022 season, Robinson has been one of the top defenders for James Franklin, racking up 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and 40 total tackles in just 19 games. He also earned preseason All-American honors before his junior year and was All-Big Ten honorable mention as a sophomore last season.
Robinson reflected back on his decision to join the Nittany Lions, which has been a successful endeavor. He recalled watching tape of former Penn State standout turned NFL linebacker Arnold Ebiketie and knew he could realize that level of success in Happy Valley.
"Seeing that and then knew I could be in his shoes and do exactly what he did a tiny bit more. It was just like a no brainer for me. So just coming here just being developed and taking every detail, every small detail to get better. It helped me out a lot," Robinson said.
The future NFL Draft selection gave high praise to James Franklin when asked about his head coach on Tuesday, who he's known for some time dating back to Penn State's recruiting efforts with Robinson out of high school.
"I had a relationship since high school with him. So he always had a smile on his face. He's always been positive. His energy is just, you know, it's off the charts," Robinson said. "You can't really explain how his energy is you just have to be around him. So just having him around and always with a smile, especially as your head coach, it's something good to have on your side."
Robinson also spoke about the impact that defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has had on his career, not only on the gridiron, but receiving lessons on life outside of football.
"On my football career, he had a big impact. You know, he's the same guy every day. He pushes us to be the best, pushes me to be the best. So just having that on my team, is just something good for me to have," Robinson said. "He honestly showed me more, helping me becoming a man instead of a football player. He just showed me [things to] get ready for the real world and stuff like that."
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