Former Broncos Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson Passes Away at Age 70

The defensive brainchild behind Denver's back-to-back World Championships.

The start of a new year typically comes with resolutions and optimism, forgetting the trials and tribulations of the one before. But for the Denver Broncos, the start of 2022 seems much like the end of 2021.

Riddled with bad news.

After losing franchise legends Demaryius Thomas and Dan Reeves over the last month, news broke on Wednesday that former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson passed away at the age of 70 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.

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Robinson, who served under then-head coach Mike Shanahan and won a back-to-back Super Bowls with the Broncos in the late 1990s, spent more than a decade as an NFL coach including stints with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs following a lengthy career as a position coach at multiple college programs.

As a coordinator for the Broncos from 1995 to 2000, Robinson led several strong units, including the top-ranked rushing defense back in 1996, as well as multiple top-10 unit in sacks. His swarming defenses constantly created pressure on the quarterback and were huge assets for a team that won consecutive World Championships to close out the decade.

A major claim to fame for Robinson was the performance of his defense in Denver during the 1998 postseason, a run which featured nearly holding Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins scoreless in the Divisional Round, shutting down Vinny Testaverde and Curtis Martin in the AFC Championship game, as well as a dominating performance against Jamal Anderson and the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.

After his stint in Denver, Robinson spent a few years in Kansas City as the defensive coordinator before going back to the college ranks for the remainder of his career including a couple of year-long stretch as the head coach at Syracuse University. He would eventually retire in 2015 as a defensive position coach at San Jose State.

Robinson is survived by his wife Laura, his son Dominic, his daughters, Lindsay and Leslie, four siblings, and six grandchildren.

Rest in peace, coach. Thoughts and prayers to the Robinson family. 

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