Darius Robinson
The defensive lineman, from the University of Missouri, was named the 2024 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year. He went as the No. 27 pick to the Arizona Cardinals.
Robinson said the draft meant a lot to him, held in Detroit, Michigan, near Southfield, where he grew up and grew to love football in his late teens.
He played five years for Missouri Tigers Football, which twice named him a team captain. In 2023, he earned a place on the All-SEC and AP SEC First Team and was recognized twice as SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. He was also named to the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2022 and 2023.
Robinson is a graduate student at Missouri, studying positive coaching and athletic leadership. He maintains his own foundation he established in the fall of 2023, named the Darius Robinson Helping Hands Foundation. The foundation facilitates a back-to-school drive for local children and a fundraiser that helps support two local families with a “happy holiday.”
“Darius, to me, will be remembered as a great student-athlete from the University of Missouri because of his commitment to all three prongs: to the community, to athletics, and to his academic success,’” said Cody Hendrickson, Missouri’s assistant director of athletics/ student-athlete leadership.
Robinson will be featured in the May 2 episode of the Diverse podcast series In The Margins.
