Dave Robinson’s Hall Of Fame enshrinement was a long time coming, but the 72-year-old linebacker finally has a bust in Canton to call his own.
Dave Robinson Hall of Fame speech: Packers LB says ‘I finally made it’
Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Dave Robinson made his Hall of Fame speech on Saturday, thanking everyone close to him and making a fair amount of jokes in the process.
Robinson began his speech, of course, by wishing his niece and granddaughter a happy birthday, because why pass up the opportunity? He then said that this day is the “biggest day of the 21st century for the Robinson family.” The first group he thanked was the Hall of Fame committee, specifically the senior committee, for going back and saying, “Wait a minute, we missed Dave Robinson.”
After talking about his family, including his eight siblings, Robinson said that all of the people in his life were looking down on him, and proud of him. “Took me 38 years to get here, and I tell you, I enjoyed every step of the way,” Robinson said.
Talking about his football career, Robinson said that he’d always had great coaches, and that he’s always been on good teams. “Football is a team sport, and I’ve had great teams around me,” he said. He said all of his coaches are hopefully looking down on him proudly, and then made a joke (one of many):
“There have been a lot of coaches in my life, and a lot of them have left here. I don’t know if anyone else wants to coach Dave Robinson. They don’t last long,” he joked.
Another colorful line he delivered, courtesy of one of his coaches: “When you play football, you gotta like the taste of blood,” he said. “And 50 percent of the time, it’s your blood.”
Robinson wrapped up his speech by thanking the Packers, calling them the “most enthusiastic fans in the country,” and also referring to them as “the best owners in the NFL.”
His parting words were on the Hall of Fame itself, saying, “I’m here now, you can’t get me out. I finally made it; I’m here forever.”
“The thing about the Hall of Fame, it’s the closest thing a football player can get to immortality,” Robinson said near the end. He continued looking over at, and admiring his bust, and his speech came to an end.
Robinson was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1963. He spent 10 years with Vince Lombardi's team and established himself as a key player in the Packers' dynasty, helping the team win the NFL Championship three years in a row (1965-67) and the first two Super Bowls (1967, 68). He made the All-NFL Team from 1967-69 and was named to the 1960s All-Decade Team. At his retirement in 1974, he had 27 interceptions and an untold number of defensive stops (tackles were not a recorded stat at the time).
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