Commander Country

Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Feeling 'Very Fortunate' to Have 'Outstanding' Brian Robinson Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is lucky to be able to play in the NFL after the shooting incident back in August with Ron Rivera happy to have the 23-year-old in his team.

Adam Schultz

Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. has had some year.

After being involved in a shooting back in August that saw two teenagers try and take his car, the 23-year-old was shot twice—one in the leg and the other in the hip.

Everyone in the NFL community took a particular interest in Robinson Jr's recovery and now, nearly three months removed from that incident, the 23-year-old is a focal point of Ron Rivera's offense that defeated the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday to improve to 7-5. 

It was also the head coach's 100th win in the NFL.

If there is anyone who has had an inside look at how far the running back has come since the August incident, it's Rivera.

"I was fortunate enough to be with him when he was talking to the trauma surgeon," Rivera said. "Listening to her explaining exactly, you know, Hey, this is what happened, this is how it happened, hey, you're going to be able to come back. Just gotta go through this and take care of this and do your thing, and then the doctors reiterated.

"So on up until the point, I got to hear that I was concerned and again, very concerned for the young man's health," Rivera added. "Once we got the positive news that we were very fortunate."

Due to his injuries, Robinson missed the first four games of the season, but with each passing week, has shown his talent as he has become the leading running back for Scott Turner's offense, as he surpassed 100 rushing yards on Sunday against the Falcons.

"I thought his performance was outstanding," Rivera said. "He's running with more confidence. He's starting to get a little bit better feel as to cutbacks and running with his vision. Again, he went through an awful, traumatic situation, and he's really just kinda starting to show us what he's capable of."

Washington's revival has continued as the team has now notched six wins from its last seven games. The rushing attack has been the catalyst for that, with Robinson Jr. front and center.

The Commanders are now in the mix for a playoff spot, and if Robinson keeps producing as he is, then Washington could scare quite a few teams over the next six games.

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Adam Schultz
ADAM SCHULTZ

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