Dave Robinson

Penn State All-American tight end and linebacker, Dave Robinson, was the Packers’ Number One draft choice in 1963. The 6’3”, 245-pound Robinson became a star at outside linebacker with the Packers.

In the 1966 NFL Championship game, he blitzed Dallas quarterback Don Meredith forcing a wobbly throw that Packer safety Tom Brown intercepted clinching the victory.

Robinson played 10 seasons with the Packers, from 1963-’72. He intercepted 21 passes as a Packer.

Recently Robinson co-authored “The Lombardi Legacy: Thirty People Who Were Touched By Greatness” with Royce Boyles. This ground breaking book tells how Vince Lombardi was a racial pioneer in the NFL. Much of the story line in the 2010 HBO Special: Lombardi was based on this book.



Dave Robinson Reviews “Lombardi” Broadway play

This review with Dave Robinson is from March 8, 2011. He is one of the players featured in the play “Lombardi” currently on Broadway, in New York NY.

It is a very unusual experience watching someone onstage playing a character, who was supposedly yourself; when you are sitting in the audience. You ask yourself, “Do I walk like that? Do I talk like that? Do I look like that?” It was a very weird experience.

The overall experience of the play is just superb. At the premier, I sat right in front of Suzy Lombardi. She was almost brought to tears during parts of the play. She said the dialog in the play reminded her so much of a conversation around the house between Marie and Vince; it was just so real and surreal. The portrayal of Vince and Marie is just superb. I think Judith Light steals the show with her interpretation of Marie Lombardi.

Almost everything in the play was very, very factual. The play is set within one week in 1965. The only things that were different were things that didn’t happen until 1967 or 1968. In order to have these important things in the play, they were shown as happening in 1965. If someone knows the Lombardi family really well, they might say, “That didn’t happen in 1965; that happened in 1968”.

The real point is, the play is all factual and all very real. What you see is what you get; these things actually did happen. This is a real testament to the entire creative crew on the Lombardi play; how they still get it into a 90 minute play.

An example is the article on Coach Lombardi, written by GQ magazine in 1967 or ’68. He was upset with the article when it came out, and was one of the reasons Vince said he wanted to retire. They have it in the play set in 1965. Another example was where Vince was having stomach problems and he was drinking Maalox or Pepto-Bismol or something. His stomach didn’t start bothering him until the 1967 season. It did bother him and was probably the onset of the cancer.

There is a scene in the play where Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor and I are shooting pool in a bar. I don’t ever remember shooting pool in a bar with Paul and Jim and the three of us getting together. But the discussion that we had at the pool table in that scene, are discussions we had in real life. Everything in the play is real. They take some liberties, as all plays do, but it is a very, very true play.

The NFL is a partner in the play, and there are highlight films going on during the play. There are references made to different teams, but the highlight films shown are always of the Bears. There was a line in the film saying “We have to stop number 51”, which of course was Dick Butkus. They even talk about how Vince got on me about my sack of Don Merideth in the 1966 NFL Championship game, and that film clip is of the Bears, where I’m sacking the Bears quarterback. Just little things like that. Any script has to make changes. If you look past those, sit back and not be overly critical, you will thoroughly enjoy this play. It is a great play.

The Lombardi play has been extended through June 2011. Feel free to take your wife, girlfriend or anyone who is not a big football fan. Do not go there thinking this is going to be a play about X’s and O’s. This is a football play; but it is more about Marie and Vince Lombardi and their interactions and how they feel about each other. Football of course is the background, but it is not what you would necessarily call a football play. The play is about a man and a woman and the way they interact with people.

It is a play about Vince Lombardi. It is very accurately titled “Lombardi”; and it is a play about Lombardi. It is not a play about the Green Bay Packers. It is not about professional football or the NFL. Well, it is a little bit about Dave Robinson, but that’s not a bad thing!

The basis for the play is the book, “When Pride Still Mattered”, by David Maraniss, which I think is one of the best biographical books written on Vince Lombardi. The best book written on Lombardi, of course is “Lombardi Legacy: 30 People Who Were Touched By Greatness”, (Written by Dave Robinson and Royce Boyles) but that is another story.

(Note to Hall of Fame Members: Watch for monthly video features of several Packers Hall of Famers who were interviewed for the Lombardi Legacy book. They provide an insight into Lombardi the person, seldom seen before.)

* * * *

The Lombardi play starring Dan Lauria and Judith Light was announced, appropriately, at Lambeau Field in July 2010.

Cast:
Vince Lombardi – Dan Lauria
Marie Lombardi – Judith Light
Michael McCormick, Reporter – Keith Nobbs
Paul Hornung – Bill Dawes
Dave Robinson – Robert Christopher Riley
Jim Taylor – Chris Sullivan

Creative Team:
Producers – Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo
Author – David Maraniss
Playwright – Eric Simonson
Director – Thomas Kail

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GO PACKERs

Dave Robinson was one of the first big (6"-4"-6'5") linebackers.

Lombardi converted him from a TE/DE to outside linebacker. A super athletic guy, as a kid, I remember him jumping over tacklers when he would return interceptions.

He helped revolutionized the modern game and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

But he won't get in. Just like Jerry Kramer, there are too many Packers in the Hall of Fame already from those teams.

And plus these young arselochs we have that cover football today, are more inclined to vote for players that they can remember.

“Trying to pass over Robinson, with his arms and reaction, is like trying to pass over the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].”[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

FF

ffaralli wrote:Dave Robinson was one of the first big (6"-4"-6'5") linebackers.

Lombardi converted him from a TE/DE to outside linebacker. A super athletic guy, as a kid, I remember him jumping over tacklers when he would return interceptions.

He helped revolutionized the modern game and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

But he won't get in. Just like Jerry Kramer, there are too many Packers in the Hall of Fame already from those teams.

And plus these young arselochs we have that cover football today, are more inclined to vote for players that they can remember.

“Trying to pass over Robinson, with his arms and reaction, is like trying to pass over the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].”[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

FF

Just like that leaping pick in Baltimore off Gary Cuozo in 1965 when our season was on the line. He returned it like 77 yards to set up a pivotal score before halftime.

FF.......I think Robinson will get in this year. Didn't you know that he and Curly Culp are the two old-timers up for vote? They let in Chris Hanburger last year........so they have to let in Robinson. I would be very surprised if Dave didn't make it. You are correct, Robinson came along about the same time the athletic tight end made the scene (Mackey) in the NFL. Robinson had everything going for him including a great supporting cast on left side of the defense.......and Ray Nitshcke next to him. What a defense that was.