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Former Chatfield quarterback comfortable at Oklahoma State

By Paul Willis, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 11, 2008 at 10:20 p.m.

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Zac Robinson, helping fans celebrate a victory Oct. 4 against Texas A&M in Stillwater, Okla., also helped the No. 11 Cowboys to a 7-0 start before the team lost two of three games. The Cowboys visit Folsom Field on Saturday.

Nate Billings / The Oklahoman/Nate Billings / The Oklahoman

Zac Robinson, helping fans celebrate a victory Oct. 4 against Texas A&M in Stillwater, Okla., also helped the No. 11 Cowboys to a 7-0 start before the team lost two of three games. The Cowboys visit Folsom Field on Saturday.

Robinson has thrown for 20 touchdowns. "Here's a kid who's . . . lighting it on fire and has a chance to play in the NFL," high school coach Bill Pospisil said.

Photo by Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman

Robinson has thrown for 20 touchdowns. "Here's a kid who's . . . lighting it on fire and has a chance to play in the NFL," high school coach Bill Pospisil said.

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This isn't just another homecoming story.

When Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson comes to Folsom Field on Saturday to lead the No. 11 Cowboys against the University of Colorado, the former Chatfield athlete will cherish the opportunity.

This, you see, is the Cowboys' only visit to Boulder during the still-

immensely-popular Robinson's tenure at Oklahoma State. The timing is impeccable, considering it is a breakout year for Robinson and the Cowboys.

"Ever since I signed at OSU, I knew I'd have one chance to play at Colorado," said Robinson, who ranks third in Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) with a 181 passing efficiency. "It'll be great getting to play in front of friends, family, former teammates, buddies that go to CU. . . ."

Robinson, a junior, estimates he will disperse about 30 tickets, but many more who know of him will be at the game. His cheering section, while perhaps scattered about, easily could reach triple figures.

Had things gone a bit differently a few years back, this might be just another home game for Robinson, who has thrown for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Perhaps CU's two-quarterback system never would have been implemented because Robinson simply wouldn't be coming out of the ballgame.

But there are reasons, very valid reasons, why Robinson ended up in Stillwater, Okla., instead of Boulder.

Challenging choice

The easy assumption is Robinson went to Oklahoma State because it's the alma mater of his mother, Myra.

"To say my mom was the only factor, I'm sure she'd love to hear that, but there are plenty of reasons," Robinson said with a laugh.

Look a little deeper, and you'll see Robinson's father, Rusty, went to Oklahoma. Both schools were on Robinson's radar, along with CU and few other Big 12 Conference programs. But the OU-OSU rivalry didn't erupt in the Robinson household as he was making his decision.

"We made a decision that we wouldn't over-promote our own school," Myra Robinson said. "Deep down inside, of course I wanted him to go to OSU, but we really wanted it to be his decision. I would have felt awful if he went there and it didn't work out and I was the one who pushed him to do it."

Myra said her son indicated that, sometimes when he was in the car with her, she'd make subtle pro-Cowboys comments while Rusty would do the same about the Sooners. But neither pressured Zac or gloated when the final choice was made.

Well, unless this comment from Myra can be construed as a playful acceptance of victory: "In all honesty, it's really a dream that my son is the quarterback at my alma mater."

It almost didn't happen that way. Robinson initially gave a verbal commitment to Kansas State but made a final decision three days before signing day to go to OSU. All of that might never have occurred had CU been on more stable footing at the time.

The Buffaloes had made Robinson his second offer (after Kansas State), but the CU recruiting scandal was beginning to boil over in his senior year of 2004-05.

"He liked Gary Barnett and (some of the assistants), but the scandal was a turnoff," Myra Robinson said. "That more than anything swayed him away from CU. Anytime you know the coach is going to be gone, there is some uncertainty. Otherwise, they were right there."

Local icon

Inside the Chatfield locker room, there is a game-day poster of Zac Robinson. When Oklahoma State is on television, more than a handful of Chargers tune in.

"You hear kids talk about on Monday how he played on Saturday," Chatfield coach Bret McGatlin said. "We've got his article up on our window in our locker room. We do keep an eye on him, and we know he's doing us proud here."

One who keeps particularly close tabs on Robinson is the player who mans his former position, junior quarterback Sam Stratton.

"I actually had the chance to meet Zac in Stillwater a couple months ago," Stratton said. "I went in and sat in a meeting and saw a practice with them. It's cool because people sometimes compare me to him, and I think that's awesome because he's an amazing guy and a great athlete, and he's fun to watch."

Robinson's former coach, Bill Pospisil, now is an assistant at Pomona. Pospisil vividly recalls the reason why Robinson wasn't a quarterback until his senior year - he was too valuable as a receiver.

"We had an average quarterback who we thought could do a good job for us, and did a good job, but we needed a guy who could go the distance out at receiver," Pospisil said. "So Zac, very unselfishly, we asked him to play receiver for us and he did. We were grateful for that. He was all-state as a receiver as a junior, then as a senior, we knew his first love was quarterback, so we let him play quarterback."

During his off week this season, Robinson attended the Chatfield-Columbine game.

"Obviously, I didn't go to high school with those guys or have the same coaching staff, but it's definitely a lot of fun to know they're following what I'm doing," Robinson said.

He still has his links to the school, though. His sister, Taylor, is a sophomore cheerleader and performed at the game. Seldom a day goes by when Taylor doesn't hear words of encouragement for or field questions about her big brother.

"She's got several friends in her class who are going to the game Saturday," Myra Robinson said. "Some of her teachers talk to her about Zac, too, because a lot of them were Zac's teachers."

For local coaches, Robinson serves as a free source of motivation. Many have used him as an example that players from the area can make it big.

"Here's a kid who's playing Big 12 football, lighting it on fire and has a chance to play in the NFL," Pospisil said. "It doesn't get any better than that for me as his former head coach. I'm as proud as can be of him."

Quick hitters with Zac Robinson

* The first thing you do when you come home to Colorado is . . .

"Usually my mom or dad will pick me up from the airport and we'll go eat at Texas Roadhouse. That's kind of been the tradition."

* Does a day ever go by when you don't hear about the infamous Mike Gundy postgame rant?

"When we play on the road, there are signs, and at Texas Tech, some guys painted themselves with 'I'm a man, I'm 40.' Fortunately, we've had success and been in the top 10, so people talk about that now when they talk about us."

* Thoughts on the Chauncey Billups trade to your hometown Nuggets?

"I thought it was great. I was a big (Allen) Iverson fan, but this will be good."

* Were you surprised Oklahoma was the only state in the nation that voted completely red, in every county, in the election?

"I honestly didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me. It's a very conservative state."

* Who's the pro quarterback you most admire?

"Brett Favre. I like his passion and enthusiasm for the game."

* Team you most despised in high school?

"Definitely Columbine. That's a big rivalry there."

Cowboys steaming after sizzling start

While Zac Robinson's homecoming might be a dominant story line in Colorado, it should be noted Oklahoma State has more pressing issues.

After a 7-0 start, the No. 11 Cowboys have lost two of three.

Granted, the losses were to two of the top four teams in the country, but the Cowboys are especially steamed about Saturday's 56-20 loss against No. 2 Texas Tech.

"We're obviously extremely disappointed, but we have to face the realization that they just outplayed us," said Robinson, whose team lost 28-24 to now-No. 4 Texas on Oct. 25.

The overwhelming need to right the ship will put Robinson's return to Colorado on the back burner.

"While it might get him jazzed up before the game, once the ball is kicked off, it won't be about his homecoming anymore," said his mother, Myra Robinson.

Comments

  • November 12, 2008

    7:34 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    flybys writes:

    Excellent crafted story, Paul. Loved reading it. You really brought out the personality of Zac Robinson, his family and high school coach. Zac seems like, in addition to being a good player, a guy that is easy to root for as an athlete.

  • November 12, 2008

    11:47 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    stewie_08 writes:

    Being from a rival school, never have been a fan of Chatfield, but I always root for success for this guy (just not against the Buffs).