Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Q&A: Greg Robinson-Randall
10/12/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 12, 1999
Q: HAVING PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IN HITCHCOCK, TEXAS, IS TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ALL IT IS MADE OUT TO BE IN BOOKS AND MOVIES?
A: It?s pretty intense. The coaches take it pretty seriously, and it?s really the biggest thing in town. There?s a lot of fan support ? when we were in the state championship we had 30 or 40,000 at the game.
Q: WHEN YOU LEFT HIGH SCHOOL FOR COFEYVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, DID YOU KNOW YOU EVENTUALLY WANTED TO COME TO MSU? A: Actually, I was leaning towards Oklahoma, because that?s who I had signed with out of high school. Going into my sophomore year (Oklahoma coach) John Blake got fired and I was pretty much open to anybody.
I liked the players, the facilities and the coaches at Michigan State. They made me feel comfortable when I visited.
Q: WHAT WAS YOUR JUNIOR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE LIKE?
A: It was kind of hard, because you see everyone else playing on TV in front of big crowds and you are thinking that could be you if you hadn?t messed up your grades in high school. But you have to go on and make the best of the situation.
Q: WAS THERE EVER A POINT WHEN YOU DOUBTED YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE IT TO DIVISION I FOOTBALL?
A: My first year was the first time I was ever really away from home. I got kind of homesick, but my mom and my grandmother kept pushing me. They told me to keep going and everything would be all right.
Q: WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT COMING TO SCHOOL AS A JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANSFER?
A: It?s a lot different, because the coaches expect a lot more from you since you?ve already played in college. Junior college is a lot faster than high school, but j.c. to here is a big jump, too. Q: WHEN YOU GOT HERE YOU GOT FLOZELL ADAMS?S NUMBER 76, PLAYING THE SAME POSITION. WERE YOU NERVOUS AT ALL ABOUT THOSE COMPARISONS?
A: I was when I first got here because I didn?t want people to expect me to live up to his performance. But nobody ever put any pressure on me to be Flozell Adams, I?m just worried about being Greg Robinson-Randall.
Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR FROM AN OFFENSIVE LINE PERSPECTIVE?
A: We have more chemistry and more experience after playing together for a year. Last year I know I was lost out there because I didn?t know what to do most of the time. This year I think it?s a big change because we are really coming together. We are like a family within a family.
Q: OFFENSIVE LINEMEN GET THE LABEL OF GENTLE GIANTS. DOES THAT DESCRIBE YOU?
A: Yeah, I?m pretty much a big quiet guy. I joke around sometimes, but pretty much I keep to myself.
Q: DO OFFENSIVE LINEMEN DESERVE MORE PUBLICITY IN THE MEDIA?
A: It really doesn?t matter to me. I just try to do my best. I don?t want to be on the front pages. The only thing I care about is after a game, having someone on that field respecting me for what I do.
Q: SINCE WE DON?T GET TO KNOW OFFENSIVE LINEMEN VERY WELL, WHAT?S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT PEOPLE MAY BE SURPRISED TO HEAR?
A: I like playing basketball a lot, which makes some people laugh because I?m big. Still, I can beat pretty much any of these guys one-on-one. I can beat Robaire (Smith), without a doubt. Gari (Scott) thinks he can play, too, but he doesn?t really have a jump shot, so he?s easy to beat.
Q: HOW ABOUT ON THE FIELD ? WHO GETS THE BETTER OF MATCHUPS BETWEEN YOU AND ROBAIRE?
A: It?s pretty close. We all go hard against each other and try to make each other better. I know I am playing against a good defensive end every week in practice, whether it?s Robaire or Nick Myers.
Q: ARE EITHER OF THOSE GUYS TOUGHER TO GO AGAINST?
A: Both are pretty tough. Nick tends to get really low, and that?s tough for me because I?m 6-7 and he?s about 6-2. But both of them are good tests for me.
