Syracuse, N.Y. — Tributes to former Syracuse football coach Greg Robinson have poured in on social media in the hours since his death on Wednesday.
Robinson imbued eternal optimism through the losses during his time here as he tried to replicate the success he helped breed in championship teams with the Denver Broncos and Texas Longhorns.
His time in Syracuse was also marked by what Mayor Ben Walsh called servant leadership. His family reached into the community; wife, Laura, volunteered in the soup kitchen at St. Lucy’s Church, and son, Dominic, still lives here and is the vice president of economic inclusion for CenterState CEO.
Robinson spent his career around some of the game’s best players and coaches. He broke into the profession with former college teammate Pete Carroll. He won two Super Bowl titles coordinating the defense under Mike Shanahan in Denver.
In college, he revitalized the defenses at Texas under Mack Brown — twice — and linebacker Derrick Johnson still credits him for taking his game to the next level in a senior season that culminated with the Butkus Award, Nagurski Trophy and becoming a first-round NFL draft pick.
Here is a sampling from former players, coaches, administrators and media members:
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