Lee County grad Mark Robinson drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers

One season at linebacker got Mark Robinson to the NFL.

The Lee County graduate was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round (No. 225 overall) of Saturday’s NFL Draft after an impressive 2021 college football season at Ole Miss. The 5-foot-11, 235-pounder made the switch from running back to linebacker during spring practice ahead of the 2021 season, and had a breakout season on defense that drew the attention on NFL scouts.

“I’m really proud and happy for Mark,” Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio said. “He has such tremendous work ethic and high character. I envision him having a long NFL career.”

The Steelers liked the upside of Robinson, a former all-region player at Lee who played college football at Presbyterian and Southeast Missouri before making his mark in one SEC season at Ole Miss. The Rebels coaching staff rewarded him with a scholarship ahead of the 2021 season.

“Mark Robinson is a real interesting story,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told Steelers.com. “Mark was a scholarship running back at Presbyterian University. Presbyterian dropped scholarships, so he looked for another opportunity, and he went to Southeast Missouri as a scholarship player. Southeast Missouri, during the COVID season in 2020, didn’t play, so because Mark didn’t want to sit out a whole year, he had a friend, an ex-teammate from back home who was at the University of Mississippi, encourage him to come down there.

“Mark went there as a walk-on running back. Mississippi gave him some looks on defense as a scout team player, and all of a sudden, they’re seeing, wait a minute, this young man can play defense. About midway through the season, Mark actually had started nine games as an inside linebacker and really caught our attention. He has a real explosive tackling demeanor about him. He’s a very, very interesting young man and really a self-made guy.”

Robinson played in all 13 games with his nine starts last season, finishing second on the Ole Miss defense with 92 tackles (8 1/2 for losses) and making three sacks. He had a huge game against Tennessee with 14 tackles (12 solos, five for losses) and two sacks.

He was a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the nation’s top former walk-on football player, and was recognized this spring with the John Howard Vaught Award of Excellence, given to a graduating Ole Miss senior athlete based on dedication, scholastic ability, morale and performance.

“Excited to have Mark,” Brian Flores, the Steelers’ senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach, told Steelers.com. “We brought him in for a visit. I spent a lot of time with him. Excited to bring him on. He’s excited about this opportunity. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

The draft selection is an exciting finish to a winding college football journey that began when he signed with Presbyterian out of high school. He rushed 75 times for 332 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games at Presbyterian, then rushed 74 times for 364 yards and four scores at Southeast Missouri in 2018. After his transfer to Ole Miss, he was a reserve running back until his football career changed course last year with his move to linebacker.

“That is part of what we like about him,” Flores told Steelers.com about Robinson being new to linebacker. “There is some upside here. Somebody who hasn’t played the position for a long time. He showed speed, athleticism, toughness, physicality. A lot of things we liked. He is a fun guy to watch on film.

“I think he has some upside. Anything that is a new position there was a little bit of a learning curve early in the season. As you watched him progress you saw him improve, get better. That is what you are looking for. You like to see that as a coach. He is a hard-working kid. I got that feeling meeting him. It’s important to him. That is a big part of making progress as a player. I know he will work to get better.”