‘This game can be taken away in a heartbeat.’ UK star eager to make up for lost time.

A jump into the air to deflect a pass during a light 7-on-7 drill.

A weird landing on the way down, accompanied by a pop.

A scoot over to the sideline that gave way to a harsh reality.

In an instant, Davonte Robinson’s 2019 season was done before it even started.

“I tried to push myself up and I couldn’t even activate my quad,” Robinson told the Herald-Leader in a recent phone interview. “After that I knew right away it was pretty serious.”

That torn quad kept Robinson from participating in the Wildcats’ fall camp last season, and still has him at slightly less than 100% during this year’s extended preseason (98% is the estimate he delivered). He feels all the way there, physically, but mentally …

“I know it’s coming cause during the last couple scrimmages there’s been plays where I haven’t thought about it. I didn’t think about my leg, I just played,” Robinson said. “So I know it’s there, I just have those days in the back of my head where I wonder, ‘Can I actually make this cut? Or, can I make this jump?’ But, really, I need to turn it loose and just play ball.”

Rehab

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed Robinson’s rehab a little, but for the most part he was unfettered in his efforts to get back onto the field.

One of his biggest allies and worst enemies during the process? A blood-flow-restriction machine.

“It’s like tourniquet that cuts off the blood flow to your leg and it makes every rep feel like a one-rep max,” Robinson said. “That was probably the hardest machine. It was a love-hate relationship when I had to do it. Afterwards I loved it, but during it, I hated that machine.”

Robinson last year was Kentucky’s only returning defensive back who’d played an extensive number of snaps. His unexpected absence, along with inexperience across the board, had many pinning that group as a scapegoat before the season got underway.

Instead, the Wildcats trotted out a unit that allowed the second-fewest passing yards and touchdowns in the country (behind only Ohio State in both categories) and played a big role in Kentucky finishing as a top-20 team in total defense, overall, for the second straight year.

For Robinson, the only thing better than being a part of it was watching so many young guys rise to meet the task in front of them.

“I got to watch them blossom into a top-five defense without me, and it was actually a great thing cause I know they’re ballers and I know what they’re capable of doing,” Robinson said. “… There’s not one person who didn’t step up and have a great year last year.”

Sleeping

Defensive coordinator Brad White doesn’t want to put too much stress on Robinson to perform like a superhero right away. An additional benefit of last year’s trial by fire meant UK got deep enough in the secondary to not have to ask that of any of its members.

“The great thing is that he’s surrounded by a bunch of good guys in that room and some really good coaches that are gonna continue to encourage and push him,” White said. “But we don’t have to throw it on him and say, ‘You’ve gotta take 70 snaps.’ We can spread it around until he gains full confidence back to where he was.”

The senior out of Henry Clay High School hopes to be back in the No. 1 position on UK’s depth chart, but “if someone is playing better than me, then they deserve to start over me,” he said.

While he offered effusive praise for the guys who shined during his absence, it was reciprocated by several UK defenders in separate interviews throughout camp.

“One person I feel like people are sleeping on is D-Rob,” Brandin Echols said. “Just because he was hurt last year they feel like he’s not gonna come out and show what he was usually doing. He’s been showing me that he’s ready to fight.”

The way Robinson sees it, given how much time he spent getting ready for a season that could have easily not been played because of the coronavirus, any number of plays he can give to the team will be a blessing.

It’s not the reality in which he expected to be playing the game, but it beats the one he lived in last season.

“Nothing in life is given, and last year really taught me a lot,” Robinson said. “I was just sitting on the sideline. This game can be taken away in a heartbeat. I’m thankful to be out there with my brothers, my friends, my coaches. I love all those guys and, season or not, I’m gonna love these guys ‘til the end and I’m gonna ride for ‘em ‘til the end.”

Scouting the Cats

This is the sixth of nine stories looking at the 2020 Kentucky football team position-by-position.

Outlook: Defensive backs

Leading men: Brandin Echols led the Wildcats in pass breakups (nine), was second in forced fumbles (two), had 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack in 2019, his first season with the program after transferring from the junior college ranks. He figures to be a starter at corner once again after earning that distinction for the last 11 games of last season. Cedrick Dort stood out last year in the other corner spot after missing 2018 due to injury, but it’s possible that LSU transfer Kelvin Joseph could also vie for that role; they’ll both get ample playing time, regardless. Junior Yusuf Corker started 13 games last year at free safety and led the Cats with 74 tackles. Quandre Mosely could get the nod at strong safety but that’s another place where Joseph might land. Davonte Robinson missed all of last year with a torn quad but, if fully healthy, he likely starts at nickel.

Supporting cast: Who starts is arguably trivial among most position groups in football, but at UK it’s especially tedious to debate about that point when it comes to the secondary. The Cats could legitimately go 10 or 11 deep in this unit in 2020; a lot of guys are going to play. If he doesn’t start, Joseph is seeing the field. Safety Vito Tisdale, a graduate of Bowling Green High School, is a true freshman who didn’t enroll early but who has been the subject of more praise than any newcomer at any position. Returnees Taj Dodson, M.J. Devonshire, Jalen Geiger and Moses Douglass all redshirted as freshmen last season and saw spot action then. Ty Ajian and Jamari Brown played, too.

Synopsis: After so much doubt was placed upon this group in 2019 due to its lack of experience, no unit on the defensive side of the ball should enter this season with more confidence. They finished as one of the nation’s best pass defenses and could go three deep at almost every position on the field. They’ve worked on their playmaking ability through fall camp (to try and get more pass breakups and interceptions), and if they can generate production there, look out.

This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 10:39 AM.

Josh Moore

Lexington Herald-Leader

Josh Moore covers the University of Kentucky football team for the Lexington Herald-Leader, where he’s been employed since 2009. Moore, a Martin County native, graduated from UK with a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication and English in 2013. He’s a fan of the NBA, Power Rangers and Pokémon. Support my work with a digital subscription