Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2025
The Kentucky Cannon. The Bazooka from Paducah. New Orleans Bowl MVP.
Corey Robinson went by many names, but no matter what your preference was, one thing was certain… the kid could sling the rock.
“He was special,” Troy offensive coordinator Sean Reagan (then Robinson’s quarterback coach) said. “He was definitely the first quarterback, and probably the only one, who I’ve coached that could get the ball out of his hand as quickly as he could. He understood coverages so well that he knew not only where his receivers were going to be but also where the defenders were going to be, and he could fit the ball into tight windows. He wasn’t a runner for sure, but the arm talent was special and so fun to watch.”
Robinson had a unique path to Troy’s starting quarterback job, having been on campus already for two falls before taking snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2010. Despite the “freshman” besides his name, there was nothing rookie about Robinson’s game.
He threw for 3,726 yards his first season as Troy’s signal caller, the second-most yards in program history, while completing 321 passes (the most in school history) and throwing 28 touchdown passes (the fourth-most in school history). Robinson earned Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors and was named the MVP of Troy’s victory in the New Orleans Bowl after he completed 32-of-42 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
“Corey was the first in the run of quarterbacks who took the grayshirt and then redshirt route; he really paved the way for the guys to follow in showing how to be mature about your role on the team,” Reagan said. “He was able to sit in meetings and be around the team during that time, and he took advantage of that and learned the offense inside and out, so when it was his time, he was ready for the moment.”
Named Mr. Kentucky out of Lone Oak High School, Robinson was no stranger to putting up video game numbers in the passing game. His senior year, he set a national record with 91 touchdown passes on 383-of-520 passing, with just four interceptions. He threw for 5,872 yards and finished his high school career with state records in completion percentage, season completion percentage, passing yards per game, career passing yards and single-season passing yards.
By the time he hung up his cleats following his sophomore season at Troy, Robinson had already moved into third place on the career passing yardage list and his place in Troy history was already being dusted off.
When he threw his final pass in 2013, a 25-yard touchdown to Chandler Worthy in a victory over Texas State, Robinson stood alone in Troy history in passing yards (13,477), total offense (13,141), completions (1,179), touchdown passes (81), passing yards per game (280.8) and attempts (1,823). All his records have stood the test of time.
“Corey was a great locker room guy throughout his career,” Reagan said. “You could call him a social butterfly. All the guys wanted to hang out with him, and everybody loved him. You always saw him hanging around the offensive line, which is what you want from your quarterback. He had that attitude where he never showed up for work in a bad mood; he brought great energy with him to the field and was a fun one to coach.”
Not only did Robinson rewrite the Troy record book, but he also took aim at the Sun Belt Conference ledger. His 13,141 yards of total offense, 1,179 completions and 13,477 passing yards all stand as Sun Belt career records, and he finished his career as a three-time All-Sun Belt selection.
While there are many plays that stick out in Robinson’s legendary career, it didn’t take Reagan but a split-second to name his favorite.
“We called timeout, and Coach Blakeney comes over to the offensive huddle and says, ‘What’s that play where we put three guys on one side and Eric (Thomas) on the other? Run that and tell your boy to throw it to No. 3 (Thomas),’” Reagan said with a chuckle.
That play, was a game-winning touchdown with seven seconds remaining in just the second-ever meeting between Troy and South Alabama. Robinson was staring down a full-on blitz from the Jaguar defense, but in true Kentucky Cannon fashion … he stood in the pocket, delivered a strike, and Troy won the game.
