Green Bay Packers in the Hall of Fame: Dave Robinson
By Clay Shannon
Richard David “Dave” Robinson was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in his early 70s, in 2013.
As was his teammate on the Green Bay Packers and fellow member of the NFL Hall of Fame Jim Ringo, Robinson was born in New Jersey.
The linebacker was selected by three football leagues in the 1963 draft – in the first round with the 14th overall pick by the Green Bay Packers (NFL) and by the San Diego Chargers of the AFL in round three with the 17th overall selection.
Not only that, Robinson was also selected by the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL (Canadian Football League).
Robinson played the first 10 seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers, and his final two for the Washington Redskins.
In college, Robinson was a first-team All-American, and the MVP of the Gator Bowl. In the NFL, he was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler multiple times (and the 1967 Pro Bowl MVP), a three-time NFL champion (including in the first two Super Bowls), a member of the virtual all-decade team of the 1960s, and a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame (in addition to the aforementioned inclusion in the NFL Hall of Fame).
In high school, Robinson was a member of three unbeaten teams – one football team and two basketball teams.
In college (Penn State), Robinson played end on both offense and defense.
Once he became a member of the Packers, Robinson was converted to linebacker, and became a member of possibly the best linebacker trio of all time: Ray Nitschke, Lee Roy Caffey, and himself. Dan Currie was also part of the line backing corps, who was also no slouch.
As a Packer, Robinson intercepted 21 passes, and even tied for the team high (with cornerback Bob Jeter) in 1966 with five picks.
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Robinson loved playing for head coach Vince Lombardi, and in his Hall of Fame speech expressed his affection for the Packers organization, in particular mentioning the owners (the fans) as the best in the NFL.