There was a time in his childhood when Denard Robinson didn't have a chance. He was ruled ineligible as a freshman in high school because of poor grades. His older brother and hero, Timothy, died suddenly at age 11, leaving Denard devastated. Robinson had amazing speed but he was undersized, and wasn't being recruited as a quarterback by the big schools. Michigan was interested, but it had been more than a generation since a mobile quarterback started in Michigan, and even longer since a mobile quarterback starred there.

But Robinson would start at Michigan.

There was a time in his first game in Ann Arbor when Denard Robinson didn't have a chance. On his first play as a quarterback in a Wolverine uniform, Robinson took the snap, spun the wrong way, and fumbled. He did not fall on the ball, which is what he should have done. Instead, he grabbed it and ran toward a swarm of defenders.

View photos Denard Robinson’s stellar play and charisma has made him a big fan favorite in Michigan. (Getty) More

But Robinson would score on that play.

There was a time in his Michigan career when Denard Robinson didn't have a chance. The coaching staff, headed by offensive guru Rich Rodriguez, was sent packing. Brady Hoke was hired in what was sure to be a return to the days of statue quarterbacks and pro-set offenses. Even if he stayed on campus – and he seriously considered transferring – Shoelace was going to be Shoehorned into a role that didn't fit him.

But Robinson would stay.

These days, Robinson is literally the face of Michigan. There he is on magazine covers in maize and blue. There he is being spotted by President Obama at a campus speech. There he is at basketball games, hopping and screaming like the frat boys all around him. But the close relationship between Robinson and his school is actually something approaching miraculous. There were many times it didn't seem like it would work out for Robinson. He gives all the credit for his success to his faith, his family, his coaches and his teammates. When asked to name the teammate that's had the most positive influence on him, he offers Nick Sheridan, a walk-on quarterback who flailed his way through a three-win Michigan season in 2008. But Robinson's gratitude belies a deeper truth: Michigan owes Robinson a lot more than Robinson owes the school.

On many occasions over the past three years, it was Michigan that didn't have a chance. And it was Robinson who saved the team, and the program, from itself.







The first time a Michigan coach met Denard Robinson, he reported back to Ann Arbor by phone with an ironic conclusion. It was then-assistant Calvin Magee who visited Robinson in Deerfield Beach, Fla., and he called head coach Rich Rodriguez with his impression: "He's even better than we thought," Magee told Rodriguez. "A great kid, a great leader. Everything we want. This guy is gonna be a perfect fit."



A perfect fit … for Rodriguez's offense. But a perfect fit for Michigan? The school is among the best in America, with a reputation for churning out stars both on and off the field. Tom Brady has been a guest at the State of the Union. Desmond Howard is a national TV personality. Dhani Jones has hosted his own travel show. While Robinson and Rodriguez clicked right away – the two made snow angels on the Michigan field during a recruiting visit – the quarterback was painfully shy and had to be told to take out his mouthpiece in the huddle because nobody could understand a word he was saying. It would be years before the public would know Robinson's tragic back story, about how he lost his brother, who he always thought was faster and stronger and better at sports than he was.

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