Kentucky Football’s Davonte Robinson gearing up for comeback

LEXINGTON, KY (WTVQ) – In the SEC, it all starts up front, but if you don’t have a strong secondary, then teams will throw it all over the yard.

The last two seasons, the Cats had one of the best secondaries in the nation. During that Citrus Bowl run, then sophomore and Former Henry Clay standout Davonte Robinson had the chance to learn from guys headed to the NFL.

“I kinda played behind Mike (Edwards) and behind D-West (Darius West) and I feel like they helped me a lot with everything that I was doing,” said Robinson. “And even when I was on the field, even if I made the wrong check they would correct me and they’d back me up. It was just a blessing playing with them.”

While he spent his time behind upperclassmen, Robinson found himself as part of a ridiculous play down in the Swamp. On the final play of the game, Kentucky’s Josh Allen would hit Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks. The ball was knocked toward Robinson. He would scoop and score, but was it a fumble or an incomplete pass? After much deliberation by the referees, it was ruled a fumble. It would seal the end of Florida’s 31-game winning streak against UK.

“Everyone told me like Stoops was yelling run, I didn’t hear it at all. I picked up the ball. You see I took off at first,” Robinson said recalling the play. “I was thinking it was dead, but I thought I heard a whistle. They said there wasn’t a whistle. And it’s like when I got to the goal line, l clearly remember seeing a ref do the touchdown sign. No one else said they saw him do it, but I’m like I swear I seen him do it.”

Headed into last season after losing the entire secondary, Robinson was the only returner who had started any games. He wouldn’t play a single game last season after suffering a quad injury during the preseason.

“Physically, I feel like it was a really good thing for me. Mentally, it came along towards the third or fourth week I just had to just buckle down and put my head down and grind at it really.”

From the sidelines Robinson would see an incredibly young secondary end the season giving up the second fewest passing yards in the nation.

“They’re great athletes and I had no doubt in my mind they were gonna be great. They went out and proved a point,” said Robinson. “Everyone doubted them even when I went down everyone was doubting them. I knew in the back of my head our defense is gonna be alright.”

Robinson says he was set to be cleared after spring ball, but the pandemic has pushed that back. Nevertheless, he says he’ll be ready for the kickoff of the season and ready to once again show everyone they’re still underestimating Kentucky.

“Proving more people wrong. I’m looking to just being out there with the guys, even the new guys who transferred in. I’m just ready to see what our defense is gonna do. Our offense, we have Terry coming back and I know he wants to prove a point also and I’m just ready for the season.”