Spring Break
Freddy Robinson's journey to the NBA
Rigorous training pays off in D-League draft
Aaron Montoya
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: News
A miniscule number of college athletes graduate into the professional ranks.
Those who do may not survive for more than a year or two.
Only a very few will have long careers.
Former Ram Freddy Robinson is one of our own, trying to become a member of the NBA, a 23-year-old from an all-to-classic rough and tumble background. While most of us prepare for a school break and a Thanksgiving holiday, Freddy is currently in Sioux Falls, S.D., nearly 700 miles from the Fort Collins community he once called home.
After being drafted earlier this month by the Sioux Falls Skyforce - an NBA development league (D-league) team - Freddy moved to a motel up there and began intense practices and competitive play in an effort to secure a spot on the roster. If he survives, he could remain on the D-League for years or he could be one of the lucky ones and get called up to play in the Show - possibly the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Charlotte Bobcats.
The competition is fierce and Freddy will be fighting for a job against NBA veterans who have been bumped down to the D-league to reprove themselves. In Sioux Falls, there are 16 guys battling for 10 jobs. One of them is a CSU alum named Freddy Robinson.
Last Friday, he walked through the west terminal at DIA, holding the hand of his long-time girlfriend, Jennifer. At one point, he stopped and kissed her, the woman he shares a home with, along with her 3-year-old son. If Freddy is cut, which he could be as soon as today, the couple will be reunited far too soon. A second D-league cut is scheduled in exactly a week.
The evolution from his May graduation from CSU to now has been arduous, painful and, in his own words, nerve-wracking. Despite the battle, Freddy embraces this mantra: "You gotta work hard at everything. You gotta work hard every day."
For more than six months, Freddy's daily routine went something like this: Rise early and be at the gym by 8 a.m. - some days swimming, other days riding a stationary bike. The workouts included lifting weights, running and practicing, over and over, every aspect of the Game.
Those who do may not survive for more than a year or two.
Only a very few will have long careers.
Former Ram Freddy Robinson is one of our own, trying to become a member of the NBA, a 23-year-old from an all-to-classic rough and tumble background. While most of us prepare for a school break and a Thanksgiving holiday, Freddy is currently in Sioux Falls, S.D., nearly 700 miles from the Fort Collins community he once called home.
After being drafted earlier this month by the Sioux Falls Skyforce - an NBA development league (D-league) team - Freddy moved to a motel up there and began intense practices and competitive play in an effort to secure a spot on the roster. If he survives, he could remain on the D-League for years or he could be one of the lucky ones and get called up to play in the Show - possibly the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Charlotte Bobcats.
The competition is fierce and Freddy will be fighting for a job against NBA veterans who have been bumped down to the D-league to reprove themselves. In Sioux Falls, there are 16 guys battling for 10 jobs. One of them is a CSU alum named Freddy Robinson.
Last Friday, he walked through the west terminal at DIA, holding the hand of his long-time girlfriend, Jennifer. At one point, he stopped and kissed her, the woman he shares a home with, along with her 3-year-old son. If Freddy is cut, which he could be as soon as today, the couple will be reunited far too soon. A second D-league cut is scheduled in exactly a week.
The evolution from his May graduation from CSU to now has been arduous, painful and, in his own words, nerve-wracking. Despite the battle, Freddy embraces this mantra: "You gotta work hard at everything. You gotta work hard every day."
For more than six months, Freddy's daily routine went something like this: Rise early and be at the gym by 8 a.m. - some days swimming, other days riding a stationary bike. The workouts included lifting weights, running and practicing, over and over, every aspect of the Game.
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