No hoops for Lake Central's other Robinson

ST. JOHN | Gelen Robinson has always had to look up to others. That's been his life. Being the "little" brother and youngest son isn't easy.

Just like it wasn't effortless putting on the Lake Central football jersey in the late summer of 2010 when this saga began.

But Robinson took on the challenges before him. With a jaw-dropping power and speed.

The sophomore is The Times 2011 Defensive Player of the Year.

"This past summer, I could tell the whole team wanted, wanted it real bad," Robinson said. "It took a little while before we realized that we were pretty good."

Robinson is the son of former NBA star Glenn Robinson. He is the younger brother of L.C. basketball star Glenn Robinson III, who has signed to play basketball at Michigan.

So how did Gelen end up playing with a ball that didn't bounce straight up?

"I played when I was little," Robinson said. "But I didn't find it interesting. It was boring to me. So I left that to my brother. I wanted to be my own person. I don't like being a follower.

"I look up to my brother and my dad, but that's not who I am."

Nearly everyone was looking up to the "other" Robinson in the sectional opener at Merrillville. The Pirates took an early lead and kicked off.

It was a line drive right at Robinson, who pinned the ball between his facemask and hand. He secured it and took off for a game-tying return.

Two other times in the game Robinson grabbed Merrillville quarterback Jake Raspopovich by one arm and threw him down. "Raspo" was so good this fall such a thing rarely happened.

But that's how good Robinson is. His 75 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 28 hurries, four pass deflections and three fumble recoveries prove how much of a game-changer he is.

He also had two blocked punts that were returned for scores.

"I don't even think he realizes how good he is or how good he can be," L.C. coach Brett St. Germain said. "Gelen's very early in the learning curve. Right now he's playing on God-given ability. Can you imagine how good he's going to be as he keeps learning and growing?"

Robinson and his mates embarked on a truly historical autumn. Previous L.C. had gone 7-49 in the Duneland Athletic Conference since joining the league in 2003. The Indians won a share of their first DAC crown after going 6-1.

The eight wins was the most since 2000. L.C. was ranked No. 6 in the state, which was the program's highest mark since 1994. Lake Central's defense was a huge reason why.

L.C. was fourth in 5A by only allowing 14 points a game.

"In the second half of the Munster game, we started going back to where we were," Robinson said. "We didn't know how to win yet. But the Portage (62-7) win was big. That was probably our best game."

Following his own footsteps, Robinson began playing football at the age of 6. Hoops be damned, he wanted to hit someone in the mouth. Even at an early age.

"I like being physical," Robinson said. "That's my type of sport. Forget basketball. I like the more physical stuff."

Of course, Robinson is also a very talented wrestler. But his ultimate goal is to play football on Saturdays. And maybe even Sundays.

And this is where he might follow in his brother's shadow. He has gone on trips to Ann Arbor with "Tre." Wearing the classic blue and gold helmet is something that brings a smile to Robinson's face.

"I haven't talked to a lot of colleges yet," he said. "But I do like Michigan."

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Robinson, St. Germain said, gets very angry when people call him a defensive end. Maybe that's why the roster says "LB" after his name.

But make no mistake. Robinson's fingers are on the ground and he has one job when the ball is snapped. Get to the quarterback. Period.

"We call him a linebacker in our system," St. Germain said. "But his job is to rush the quarterback and he does it well. Very well."