Flip the calendar back to Sept. 7.
It’s the game. You know the one. The Colorado game. One that Nebraska wasn’t favored in. One that featured a lot of national love for the generational talents on Colorado’s sidelines rather than the unsung fellas suiting up for the Cornhuskers. But the bruising Blackshirts won the day, led by none other than the face of the defense, No. 9 Ty Robinson, to stifle Colorado’s offense in the 28-10 Nebraska victory.
Robinson walked off Tom Osborne Field in lockstep with his head coach as they entered the new tunnel. By the time they entered the new football facility, Robinson’s right arm was draped over Matt Rhule’s shoulder.
With smiles on their faces, the two shared a moment.
“I told you this would work,” Rhule said to the beloved sixth-year senior.
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Robinson responded, “Why do you think I came back?”
Months later, that feeling still resonates.
Returning to Nebraska for his sixth season, he said, “was the best decision I made,” Robinson said. “I’ll stand by that to this day. You can see it even from numbers-wise from 23 to 24, the statistics itself. But then you also see it when I’m actually playing the game. My body changed, even for the better. I got bigger, faster, stronger, right? I’m really grateful for the people here.”
For Robinson, the NFL draft is on the horizon. When the final weekend in April rolls around, Robinson is expected to be one of Nebraska’s highest-drafted prospects in years. But he hasn’t hyperfocused on his metrics — though his testing numbers have been elite. No, the aspiring pediatrician has been hyping up the people around him and the next generation of Huskers.
In his interviews with NFL teams, he didn’t just speak about himself. He praised fellow draft-eligible Huskers like Nash Hutmacher and MJ Sherman. He spoke about why — in an era where so many players opt out of their bowl games — he made sure he’d suit up in the Pinstripe Bowl. He waxed poetic about the culture at Nebraska under Rhule and why that’s a major part of why he’s in the position he’s in today — getting invites to both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.
“Both me and (Rhule) saw the plan and the goal on the same level of what it’s going to take,” Robinson said. “Just being able to bond and build that relationship over how he wants to be great and how I want to be great, so let’s help each other be great. You get close and you feel emotional towards each other. He does mean a lot to me. Even within the two quick years I’ve been here. And when I talked to him about coming back, I said, ‘I can see it. This thing’s getting ready to rip.’”
With Robinson helping lead the charge, Nebraska football did catapult into a better place. And Robinson did leave the program in a better place than he found it. Not only from a winning perspective but culture-wise.
For Robinson, it’s the people. It’s the memories. It’s knowing that he helped build a foundation for what he hopes lies ahead. As he reflects on his bonus season, there are ample memories he’ll cherish fondly for the rest of his life.
Moments like that Colorado victory, giving NU its first win in the series in nearly 15 years. Moments like beating Wisconsin and hoisting the Freedom Trophy for the first time in program history to become bowl-eligible for the first time in nearly a decade.
Moments like playing in — and winning — said bowl game, the Pinstripe Bowl, to give Rhule an opportunity to coach a football game in his hometown and to cap off Robinson’s career with 60 games played.
“I’m proud to say I played at Nebraska,” Robinson said. “All these scouts that I’ve talked to, I’ve made them aware of how great Nebraska is and how it’s, honestly, kind of under the radar, and it’ll be a gold mine here pretty soon.”
What’s next for Robinson?
The hay is mostly in the barn, outside of more Zoom calls with NFL teams. He already turned heads with his 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine. Of all of his Combine results put together, the NFL’s Next Gen Stats graded him as an eventual starter and has tested in the top 15 among draft-eligible defensive tackles in both athleticism and production. Because of his metrics — and his intelligence and personality — he’s shooting up draft boards.
“The testing numbers are great, right? They look good on paper, but if you can play ball, you can play ball,” Robinson said. “That’s really what these scouts are going to be looking at. To me, those numbers are just kind of more icing on the cake.”
Because of how well Robinson performed at the NFL Combine last month, he did minimal testing at Nebraska’s Pro Day on Tuesday.
And, of course, none of that is any surprise to Rhule.
“I think Ty should be a first or second-round pick,” Rhule said in December. “... You look at what he did last year to what he did this year, such a huge jump.”
What happens on Draft Day is anyone’s guess. But there’s no doubt that Robinson put in the work. And because he returned for the 2024 season, there’s no telling how much he'll be able to accomplish after his future team calls his number.
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