It's incredibly hard to make it to the NFL, let alone stick.

But Pensacola's Fred Robins played in the league for a remarkable 12 seasons.

A consistent standout on the defensive line.

Robins reached the pinnacle of the sport, winning the Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2008.

He now gives back by mentoring young athletes, and budding NFL players were thrilled to be going deep with Fred Robins.

Fred, thanks so much for coming in and joining us.

Thank you for having me.

All right.

So we'll go back to the early days, you know, for football.

But really growing up in Pensacola, baseball was your first love.

How much did you think baseball was going to be your path?

Oh, man.

You know, growing up, I mean, I was a huge baseball fan.

I thought it was going to be my what I loved.

And I started playing when I was, you know, 5 or 6 years old.

I played Little League all through high school.

But, growing up, man, baseball was was my first love.

So football, you didn't play football until you got to high school your freshman year.

And, you go off for football.

What was it like when you first went out for football?

It was different.

You know, I always play, you know, football, like, in the street with my buddies.

But when I, when I was able to organize, you know, sport, it was a little bit different.

You know, all the hit me playing offensive line, you know, in the, in my 10th grade year, I didn't play at all.

I didn't quite like it.

Then I went back out again my junior year, and I started playing a lot of defensive line and tight end, which was a little bit more fun.

And then my senior year, you know, we had a new coach coming, and Sam McCorkle, had, like, a rough season.

But, you know, I start to get, like, a lot of attention, you know, playing, you know, playing football.

So what changed that junior and senior year?

What changed?

What kind of took off for you that football became?

Okay, this was the thing for me.

You I think, you know, I had a growth spurt.

You know what I mean?

Two the great year.

You know, I grew a lot, gain some weight.

And then my 11 great year.

You know, I just pretty much I had a better, more physical dominance, you know, sort of playing football.

You know, things were a lot more fun for me, playing, and I was getting, like, a lot of attention and, doing great and, and ball sports, football and baseball.

And so football just kind of grew on me and kind of stuck.

All right.

So I ended up getting a scholarship offer to Wake Forest.

You representing them with the with the hat today?

Sec.

And, you know, you make an immediate impact there.

You started there as a freshman.

Ended up becoming all SEC.

By the end.

So how did you really develop as a player in your time at wake?

I think the first year when I was ready to start, it was was a key year for me.

It was hard because it was the first time where, I didn't play, I didn't start, you know, and you just kind of watch everybody play.

But I took advantage of getting some coursework done and also just hitting the weight room and getting bigger, stronger and faster.

And, so by the time I came out my spring football the following year, I was ready to start, and they put me in the starting rotation.

What did you realize?

You know, hey, I'm not just at college.

I'm.

I'm a really good college player.

I got a future that.

I mean, I got a future.

Was there a point where it really hit you?

Okay.

You know, I really got something here.

I think, you know, my freshman year, when I first started, you know, good eye lid, weight force.

And I was, you know, talks and you see, like, tug of war losses.

And so I was talking a lot of attention.

I had a couple of friends of mine and our teammates who were singers, and they were getting ready to get ready for the drive and saying, wow, man, every time we go out to dinner with some teams, I was asking, who's the number 90 for Wake Forest, you know, so when I heard about all the teammates really just saying something that's kind of made me think I had a future in it.

Okay, so obviously you ended up getting drafted in 2000 Vikings draft you second round, huge moment in anybody's life.

You know, how significant was it?

Oh, man.

It was awesome.

You know, just you spent all that time, you know, you think back and all the sprints and all the hard work as you put it through the years, and just to soak it in with, you know, with your family, and just the sacrifices they made to get me to and from practice every day and, you know, all the fundraising, everything they had to do me, it's kind of like a moment for everybody to kind of look back where you started to where you're on now.

And I think, just just hearing your name, getting a phone call from Dennis Green and telling me, hey, look, you know, we got a flight ready tomorrow, 6 a.m. on a on the first thing out, you know what I mean?

And then it just one thing just kind of took off.

All right?

So the first year you played somebody, you were a back up the first year.

So what was the adjustment like to the NFL?

It was almost like you had it when I first got the call.

So you know you kind of like you learn the lifestyle you know, putting on a putting on the pads and practice and everything is kind of, easy.

But the lifestyle of it, you know, was it got to get used to.

And that's kind of what I did my rookie year.

All right.

So second year become a starter.

And from there you basically started for the next 11 years playing almost every game, which is an incredible run.

So what was the key for you kind of becoming, a good NFL player, a consistent NFL player and someone that that was really successful on that level.

Now, I just took a, you know, time learnin studying opponents.

Who you going to play against?

And the main thing, just staying healthy, you know what I mean?

I think this what enable me to play, you know, 11 straight seasons, you know, and then also just playing with some great talent with some guys around you, and you learn from some of the older guys.

It's kind of all right.

All right.

First four years with Minnesota, then you signed with the New York Giants and were an up and coming team.

So how did you feel about your role with the team that was really up and coming.

Had a lot of good defensive players and they bring you in to be a big part of that.

You know?

And when I first met with the Giants, you know, when I went to New York and visit with, they tell me from the jump, listen to this idea with taking us.

Here's what we need, here's what we need from you.

You know, as far as, like, my role, you know, and kind of taking on a leadership role, something I really had and took on, like my first four years with the Vikings.

But now I'm coming to New York, where I'm like one of the kind of oldest guys, even though it's my fifth year, I was kind of one of the older guys on the defensive line, and they wanted me to take more that leadership role and kind of mentor guys and mentor a lot.

And some guys are younger to me, and so they all kind of look different for me.

But I just took on that role, understood the assignment and and just roll with it.

Yeah.

In 2007, you guys had an incredible season.

You win the Super Bowl.

You played the Patriots who were undefeated in that game because we're big underdogs.

And you pull off a stunning upset.

When you think about that, what comes back to you, about how remarkable that was and how that felt to win a Super Bowl and, Ball comes free.

and the way you guys did it.

Yeah, I think the main thing is like the beginning of the season, we had just got a new defensive coordinator asked to speak.

Nolan.

Campbell's got an angle.

And we played, the Cowboys and the Packers the first two games.

And they both put up like over 40 points on us.

And so they're like, oh man, here we go.

The Giants.

Here we go again.

And the next third game we had to come back from behind you know to beat the Raiders games.

And that kind of just set the tone for like who we were.

We simplified our defense and we went like a seven game win streak.

Then we went through that up and down.

But we always had a strong team.

And I think on the last game of the season we played, the Patriots lost by three, but we knew we could beat them.

Then go on a Super Bowl run with different mark.

We just played great ball.

We were healthy and we weren't playing selfish was playing team ball.

And that's what got us to the Super Bowl.

And we went in.

When you wanted, did it hit you in the moment?

I'm a Super Bowl champion.

It did man.

You know you see all confetti fall.

You see your family and friends and you celebrate with your teammates.

And then you just having fun the rest of the night.

You know, we had the parade in New York, which is unbelievable.

It really did set in on really.

So I really got back home.

So I'm like, wow, you know, I mean, I won the Super Bowl and so then again, a couple months later when we actually got our Super Bowl rings, we kind of relived the whole process again all over again.

And then the next season they voted you the defensive captain or a, you know, star studded defense.

Well, how significant was that?

That was it was very significant, you know, because really you don't know what people think of you.

But to have your teammates vote you as captain, as being significant, they saying they see something in you, they like the leadership role that was taken on and have your teammates vote you, Captain New York.

We had a lot of other guys that could have showed from so it kind of made me just step my game up a little bit more with guys.

Really count on you on and off the field.

You know, you're part of an incredible NFL legacy for the Pensacola area.

I mean, this this double digit guys in the NFL now from this area back when you were playing I think was like 1213 at one point.

So you had like Lawrence Tynes was on your team from Milton, from the area, you know, week to week.

You're playing against other guys in the Pensacola area all the time.

Was that something that where how remarkable was that to you?

And was that something that was that you guys talked about all the guys from this area in the NFL and and how much of a source of pride mean?

It was definitely a source of pride, especially when, some of your teammates see, like, oh, you from Pensacola?

Oh, I don't know.

He's Pensacola.

And so when all the teammates.

I'm really just saying why y'all got all these guys from this area from Pensacola all in the NFL, it's kind of like, you it's just a little bit, you know what I mean?

But it was fun and playing against those guys.

You know, we always want to compete to win.

But it's always great to see, you know, guys that know you work out with and train with.

I remember when I first played Justin.

No, he's playing with the package girlfriend.

My we used to work on train together, but the first time we actually played against each other was it was like a giggle session.

We was going up against each other, but it was fun, you know?

But it was very competitive.

But, it's always great to see girlfriends on, you know, the whole time.

Why do you think that is?

Why do you think the legacy is so strong, the turnout year after year.

And we're still doing it now, we like a small community.

We guys know everybody.

The families kind of know everybody.

And it it might I know him personally know of them.

And I think that's what makes it even more great.

When you see guys up close go to make it to play against.

And we always root each other on.

I always supported me when I went to Super Bowl there.

Brooks was one of the first guys to call him and we play Tampa.

And he thanked me, kind of told me, like, look here, some of the things you need to do, while you get the Super Bowl so you able to play it, you know, play better and eat everything smooth out.

Are you finish a career with the Rams were in Saint Louis at the time 12 seasons, 186 games.

When you look back at that great longevity, great success, you know what?

What stands out to you most about what you know what you accomplished?

Oh, man.

You know, I just think of all the hard work, you know, all the, all the extra time, putting in when I didn't have to.

And I think that's what it takes now, especially even now, is what to do when you're not able to do anything, you know, just really take advantage of every situation.

And I look at a lot of the guys I play with and, you know, with and against, in different careers.

I was totally blessed to play 12 years.

But I look back on, you know, how I was able to keep my body healthy.

And I think this and moving forward, you know, this a lot of guys got to do just new things, kind of take care of their bodies.

All right?

Since you retired, you've been giving back, big thing you did, Mr. Robinson.

Neighborhood, which is, trying to mentor youth and in different ways.

So talk a little bit about what the main message is So my goal is kind of really, you know, try to help the other 98.5, 99% of guys who don't make it to the NFL, why is everybody trying to make it professional ranks.

But you know sports is different is even harder now.

So my goal is to help those 99% of guys come up with different career paths, different choices, just in case sports don't work out.

I try to show them all the things that around sports, they can develop different job, different career paths that enables them to, kind of live that sports competitive lifestyle as they so far choose.

And right now, with the age of, you know, everything going on is even more serious and more important now for me to get back and help those guys.

So how rewarding when you see the eye opening moments for some of these youth that you know, they think, oh, I'm definitely going to make this.

But when you show them a different path, a different way, you know, how rewarding is that?

It's very rewarding because, you know, you got to be honest now, you know, not just showing the numbers like, listen here, you can be the best, but here, some of the best kids that never made it.

You know, when I had everything lined up.

And so I just, you know, just be honest with them, you know, tell the truth.

Listen, I'm going to help you in way I can to get to the level.

But just in case, just because I made it, you know, nothing else.

I mean, everybody else is because it's so hard now.

But I'm just going to show you.

Alternate career pass.

Do something you might look at in a second nature.

Okay.

The thing you're doing is Fred Robbins performance.

You work with up and coming, NFL draft hopefuls, defensive linemen, you know, out at Exos at Andrews Institute.

You've had a number of guys you work with get drafted over the years.

What's the experience been like?

Working with those guys over the last number?

Yeah, it's been great, actually.

It helped me make their transition from retired, retired life back to normal.

Life is just working with those guys and to watch them on Sundays now, it's kind of.

I see a piece of myself because I'm teach some things that I know from a veteran standpoint, but it's been rewarding.

I mean, every, guy trying his I have a great relationship with and, we keep in touch and kind of keep tabs on what everybody's doing.

But it's been very rewarding to see them go out and still perform at a high level now.

So what are the main lessons when when you teach others you're teaching technique and things like that, but you're also teaching bigger picture.

What are the main lessons?

Well, in the beginning was this teacher technique.

You know what I mean?

Teaching technique for guys and different things they might not know.

But now with sports it's changed.

Now I'm teaching more about the lifestyle, more about the business side of the game, and they have a better understanding.

Now, when I go into it kind of, you know, been able to help themselves navigate through the NFL careers a lot longer.

But that's what it's going to take.

All right.

So you have two sons right now, both in athletics.

In different ways.

So, you know, as a guy who played professional athletics, you know, how are you approaching their development as they go out in the world and try to, you know, try to make it?

When you see boys playing, you know, I try not to be, coach too much because I want to enjoy that that moment where I can just sit back in the stands and just know, clap and cheer was kind of hard, you know?

But I try to give them both sides.

I want them to have that, that see their dad watching them.

Not always, you know, tell them what to do as a coach, but because I'm I'm a firm believer in letting coaches coach.

So, but when we're at home, sometimes I do give them a little motherly tip for hints of what they should do.

Awesome.

Well lucky them.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, thanks so much for joining us.

We appreciate all you do in the community.

Thanks again.