Adrian Robinson, a standout defensive end at Temple, who bounced around the NFL for a couple of seasons as an outside linebacker, was reported to have died Saturday at age 25. On Monday, multiple media accounts cited the Philadephia medical examiner’s office as confirming that Robinson committed suicide by hanging.
Nothing else has been made public yet about the circumstances surrounding Robinson’s death. He had signed with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in April, after spending time with six NFL teams, starting in 2012.
Robinson won numerous Mid-American Conference honors while at Temple, including the league’s defensive player of the year award in 2009. He played in every game of his college career, making 38 starts, and he accumulated (per Sports Reference) 156 total tackles and 22.5 sacks.
As an undrafted free agent in 2012, Robinson signed with the Steelers, who converted him to linebacker and put him on the field in 12 games. The next year, Pittsburgh traded him to the Eagles for running back Felix Jones, but he was cut by Philadelphia in training camp.
In 2013, the 6-1, 250-pound Robinson played for the Broncos, Chargers and Redskins. He was cut by the Redskins during their 2014 training camp, then latched onto the Buccaneers’ practice squad before signing with the Tiger-Cats this year.
On Sunday, Temple Coach Matt Rhule released this statement:
“The Temple football program lost a friend, a brother, and a wonderful young man today. Adrian Robinson was one of the greatest competitors I ever had the pleasure of coaching and I know he was an even better teammate. I first met Adrian as an 18-year-old high school senior. I was so proud to see him back at Temple this spring, finishing his degree and being a loving father to his new daughter.
“He will always be a part of me and will always be a part of this program. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the Robinson family — his parents Terry and Adrian Sr., brother Averee and sister Aija, and his daughter Avery Marie.”
