Eugene Robinson knows he'll have to answer for pre-Super Bowl arrest the rest of his life

There have been some infamous moments of players losing their grip right before the Super Bowl. Cincinnati Bengals running back Stanley Wilson was found doing cocaine the night before Super Bowl XXIII and the team didn’t let him play. Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins went totally AWOL before Super Bowl XXXVII, the start of many sad stories about his mental health.

No story is more well known that Eugene Robinson’s tale. And he’ll probably never live it down. He definitely won’t during this year’s Super Bowl, with the Atlanta Falcons back in it for the first time since he became a household name.

The night before the Falcons’ first Super Bowl appearance, Robinson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute in Miami. That happened hours after the Falcons safety was given the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award for the player who “exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.” Robinson played in the game, got beat deep on an 80-yard catch by Denver Broncos receiver Rod Smith, and the Falcons lost 34-19.

With the Falcons back in the Super Bowl for the first time since then, Robinson knows his name will come up often. And he’s OK with that.

“I can’t be upset because that’s fact and that’s reality — I’m not going to run and hide from it,” Robinson told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s the landscape that I created.”

It’s practically an annual occurrence for Robinson. Last year he got brought up because the Carolina Panthers were in Super Bowl 50 and he is a part of the Panthers’ radio broadcast team. He told Schultz when he talked to the Panthers, he told them not to blow the opportunity they had by making a selfish mistake. He’ll probably be telling that message the rest of his life.

“Don’t just think of yourself,” Robinson told Schultz. “Don’t be one of those guys who jeopardizes their chance and makes a mistake.’ I’m proof of that. People are right to reference me. That was the message I wanted to give them.”

Robinson played 16 seasons for four teams, was a part of the Green Bay Packers’ Super Bowl XXXI championship team, made three Pro Bowls and ranks 13th all-time with 57 career interceptions. But for most people he has become synonymous with his Super Bowl arrest, and he’ll probably be reminded of that every year about this time.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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