Robinson reflects on eventful career

SYRACUSE — Players have quit, had their seasons end with injuries, or been suspended to the point where they quit the team.

Amid all of the hoopla of the last four seasons, one Syracuse football player stood particularly firm, even if little was expected of him.

"It's been interesting, that's for sure," Andrew Robinson said. "It's not what I expected or what I planned for my career here."

Robinson came in a head coach ago as the starting quarterback. He was the last quarterback to beat a ranked team when he led Syracuse to a 38-35 win over Louisville over two years ago.

On Saturday, as Syracuse enjoyed a 31-13 victory over No. 25 Rutgers, Robinson was barely a thought in the crowd.

He lost his starting job last season, came back as a tight end this year and saw limited action on the field.

"The low point was getting benched after the Northwestern game," he said. "It's something I'm going to learn from and to face adversity in the future."

But Saturday was a different story as he stood near midfield with his parents while the fans politely applauded his four-year career.

"It's days like this that make it all worth it," he said. "It makes the transition and the emotional strain all worth it. It really does."

He joined 18 other seniors, most of whom are wrapping up their careers. All of them took an extra moment on the field to remember their time at Syracuse.

"Being a senior hear, it's pretty special," quarterback Greg Paulus said. "I know how emotional it can get and how much goes into it. There's so much hard work and time spent with those guys in the locker room."

Delone Carter, a senior who still has a year of eligibility, rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown. The game moved him to 20th all-time for rushing yards at Syracuse. He has 1,769 for his career. He said he planned to return for his final year of eligibility next season.

"We're excited about the win, but we're more excited about this experience for our seniors," coach Doug Marrone said. "We're talking about a group of kids who have gone through a lot of adversity."

None greater than Robinson's personal struggles, who said he never thought about quitting.

"I'll face adversity in the future," Robinson said. "And I'll be able to step back and say 'You know what? This is a tough time, but I made it, and here I am now.'"

As he stood there before the game, waving politely to the 36,759 fans in attendance, they cheered back at him even though some probably didn't know his name.

"Today was really spectacular," he said. "For us to go out at home on top like this is something special."

Robinson will look to make his name in the courtroom as a lawyer. He wants to get his law degree in either New York City or Washington, D.C.