SI

Bijan Robinson Has Nothing but Praise for Scottie Scheffler's 'Locked In' Mentality

Robinson admires how unbothered his fellow Longhorn looks while on the course.

Brigid Kennedy

Bijan Robinson and ESPN's Laura Rutledge on April 11, 2025.
Bijan Robinson and ESPN's Laura Rutledge on April 11, 2025. / SportsCenter / X / Screensho
In this story:

Young NFL star Bijan Robinson knows a winner when he sees one.

Speaking at the Masters on Friday, the Atlanta Falcons running back commended defending champ (and fellow Texas Longhorn) Scottie Scheffler for his ability to block out the noise on the course, something Robinson himself has to do when he takes the gridiron.

“I understand it, even just knowing him. I followed him around two years ago, right before the [2023 NFL] draft in Austin, and after the match, that’s when we gave each other a hug and I congratulated him,” Robinson told ESPN's Laura Rutledge of Scheffler's mentality. "But during the match it's like he can't even see you.

"And I understand it because obviously when I'm on the field it's hard for me to understand what's going on outside of what I've got going on. And everything else blanks out. So to see him in that same environment and to see him so locked in and just focused on what he has to do ... I mean, he could do something incredible and he just don't even know. But I respect that a lot for him. Obviously, that's why he is who he is and that's why he's the best golfer right now. ... It's cool to see just how focused and in the moment he is."

As Robinson alluded to in his response, he attended the Dell Match Play tournament ahead of the 2023 draft, where he watched Scheffler advance to the quarterfinals. The pair spoke briefly and shook hands after the fact.

Now, as he watches on at Augusta National, Robinson is surely just as in awe of Scheffler as he was during that event two years ago.

More on Sports Illustrated

Published
Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

Home/Golf