Where are they now? Volume 2

Hello, Mr. Robinson!

The second in a series of articles entitled: Where are they now? takes us back to 1968 when a rookie running back rambled for 1,023 yards with the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football League.

 It was the Bengals first year in the AFL and the rookie became the first player to gain 1,000 yards for a first-year expansion team. The running back was a third round draft pick and was selected after playing just one year of football for the University of Arizona. His name is Paul Robinson. He had transferred to the UofA after an exceptional two seasons as a track star at Eastern Arizona Junior College in Thatcher where he won a national title in the hurdles.

 It wasn't long before the Wildcats' football coach Darrell Mudra got a hold of him...and the rest is history. Where is he now? Well, he hasn't gone too far. In fact, he's just down the road...in Safford, Arizona. "Yes, I moved back to Safford after my pro football career. I met a beautiful gal, got married and settled down."

Robinson married the former Arleen Pines, went into the rental business and as he puts it, "just kicked back" in the farming community of Safford, which is located just a few miles east of the junior college he attended.

Arleen passed away in 1988. "I've been a widower for 21 years. I recently finished my ninth year as a probation officer with Graham County," Robinson said in a recent interview. "I'll  never leave here."

Paul has family in Marana, including his brother, Cleo, a well known basketball referee in Tucson, but he loves his job and the Safford area and is "staying put."

"I love it here. I go to a lot of high school games and offer my support, but my playing days are over. I took quite a beating in the pros," Paul added.

It's been 42 years since he won "Rookie of the Year" honors by both the United Press and by Sporting News. Robinson said he spent five seasons with the Bengals and another two with the Houston Oilers, now known as the Tennessee Titans."I have plenty of gear from the Bengals, but I don't have a thing from the Oilers."

So, if anybody out there has some Oilers' paraphernalia for sale, give Mr. Robinson a call.