FEATURE: Robottom Set To Make Most of His Time
Sep 29, 2010 | Football
Sept. 29, 2010
By Lenny Vangilder, special to Tulane Athletic Communications
The list of leading receivers at Tulane in the last quarter-century reads like a who's who of Tulane football - names like Zeno, McIntosh, Ursin, Franklin, Dawson, Moore and two guys named Williams.
Senior Casey Robottom will look to add his name to that list in 2010. Robottom, a native of LaPlace who attended St. Charles Catholic, broke out in the second half of 2009 and heads into the season as the primary target for Tulane quarterback Ryan Griffin.
Robottom had 16 receptions in the first half of the season, but stepped up in the final six games with 34 catches. His increased production coincided with the insertion of Griffin into the starting lineup at quarterback.
"I think teams just started keying on Jeremy (Williams)," Robottom recalled after a hot preseason practice last month. "If they were double-covering Jeremy, they would have to throw it to me.
"We had the running game but we needed to throw the ball. I needed to step up. I started doing that toward the end of the year and getting more balls."
With Griffin returning as the starter at quarterback, the experience he gained from his rookie season figures to only help Robottom's production and the passing game as well in 2010.
"I think Ryan started really getting the hang of it toward the end of last year," Robottom said. "He brought it into the spring and the summer. We're doing extra work on the side to get our chemistry down and I think we'll just keep it going into the fall."
Robottom, who redshirted in 2006 and was a part-time starter in 2007 and 2008, started all 12 games last season at split end, ending his junior campaign with 50 receptions for 584 yards and two touchdowns. That was nearly double the receiving totals of his freshman and sophomore seasons - 27 catches, 385 yards and one score. Robottom signed with Tulane in February 2006 thanks in part to a familiar name to Green Wave fans - his high school coach, former Tulane assistant Frank Monica.
"I think he had a big hand in me coming to Tulane," Robottom said. "It was close (to home). My family and friends can come see the games."
Robottom thinks his senior year is the year that Tulane turns the corner.
"I think our team chemistry is really good right now," he said. "We've got a lot of real good leaders. We've got some older guys that are willing to do the job and take the bull by the horns and lead these guys in the right direction."
And his goals for 2010?
"Our team goal every year is to get to a bowl game and win a bowl game. That's basically my only team goal," he said. "Individually, I just want to improve on what I did from last season. I want to catch more balls, get more yards, score more touchdowns and just help our offense get better."
Just a repeat of 2009 would put Robottom into the top 15 in Tulane history in both receptions and receiving yards - and a part of that aforementioned receiver legacy.
"To be honest, I really didn't realize ... until I got here how many great receivers we (have) had," Robottom said. "I just want to be one of those guys that are in the receiver legacy that are talked about for years to come."
And if a pro career doesn't work out, Robottom will have a Tulane degree. He is on schedule to graduate in May with a double major - finance and marketing.
Lenny Vangilder is a former assistant athletic director at Tulane who continues to blog weekly about all things in college athletics at NewOrleans.com/Sports.
