Monte Robbins Explained

Monte Robbins
Number:43
Position:Punter
Birth Date:19 September 1964
Birth Place:Great Bend, Kansas, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:4
Weight Lbs:202
High School:Great Bend (KS)
College:Michigan
Draftyear:1988
Draftround:4
Draftpick:107
Pastteams:
Highlights:
  • Holds Michigan record for longest punt (82 yards)
  • Holds Michigan career record with 42.6 yard average on 187 punts

Dammond R. "Monte" Robbins (born September 19, 1964)[1] is a former American football punter. He played for the University of Michigan from 1984 to 1987. He holds Michigan's all-time records for the longest punt (82 yards) and for average yards per punt in a career (42.6) and in a year (45.0).

University of Michigan

A native of Great Bend, Kansas, Robbins played for the University of Michigan from 1984 to 1987 under Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler. In his four years at Michigan, he punted 187 times for 8,053 yards, averaged 42.6 yards per punt,[2] and had only one punt blocked. In December 1986, he set a Michigan school record with an 82-yard punt against Hawaii.[3] Robbins later recalled his record-setting kick: "I guess my highlight was in the Hawaii game in 1986 when we were backed up on our goal-line. I kicked one 82 yards that turned the game around. After we got better field position, we scored a TD on our next possession that won the game." Because of Robbins' hang time, Michigan led the country in 1986 with a 43.0-yard average in net punting, punts minus returns. As a senior in 1987, he averaged 45.0 yards on 36 punts.[2] In April 1988, Robbins summed up his playing career at Michigan: "It was a great experience and I saw a lot of things. Michigan is a great place to be. You get great exposure here. No other team in the country has 105,000 fans for its home games. I was able to play under a coach like Bo Schembechler. I've dealt with a lot of pressure situations."

Robbins played during the same years that the Big Ten Conference also featured future NFL punters Tom Tupa and Greg Montgomery and, accordingly, was never named to an All-Big Ten team despite setting Michigan's all-time punting records.[4] Robbins was later selected by Athlon Sports as the punter on the All-Time Michigan Team.[5]

Michigan punting records

Robbins holds and/or held the following Michigan punting records:

Professional football

He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round (107th overall pick) of the 1988 NFL draft.[6] [7] He was the highest drafted punter in Buccaneers history.[8] [9] After averaging 36.6 yards on seven punts in the 1988 exhibition season, Robbins was cut by the Buccaneers on August 22, 1988.[8] He was picked up by the Chicago Bears on August 23, 1988, but he did not play in any regular season games for the Bears.[10] Robbins signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins in early 1989 and was traded to the New England Patriots in April 1989.[11] In August 1989, he was waived by the Patriots to make room on the roster for Russ Francis.[12] In April 1992, he was waived by the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football.[13]

Later years

After retiring from football, Robbins went into the mortgage banking business. From 1994 to 2002, he was a regional vice president for Amresco Commercial Lending, Inc. From 2002 to 2010, he was the president and chief executive officer of CapWest Mortgage Corporation in Overland Park, Kansas.[14] [15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Monte Robbins. nfl.com. September 20, 2010.
  2. Web site: Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page . University of Michigan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130524051040/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php . 2013-05-24 .
  3. News: Michigan Triumphs. The Victoria Advocate (AP story). December 7, 1986.
  4. News: Jim Misunas. Great Bend's Robbins to keep eyes glued on NFL draft today. Hutchinson News, Kansas. April 24, 1988.
  5. Web site: Michigan All-Time Team. Athlon Sports. September 20, 2010.
  6. Web site: 1988 NFL Draft Listing . 2023-09-24 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  7. News: John Luttermoser. Rush for punters reaches Robbins: Fourth-round draft pick hopes to win open spot with Bucs. St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.. Apr 29, 1988. https://archive.today/20130131193557/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/51301717.html?dids=51301717:51301717&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+29,+1988&author=JOHN+LUTTERMOSER&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Rush+for+punters+reaches+Robbins+//+Fourth-round+draft+pick+hopes+to+win+open+spot+with+Bucs&pqatl=google. dead. January 31, 2013.
  8. News: Michelle Kaufman. Bucs cut 15, including No. 4 pick Robbins. St. Petersburg Times. August 23, 1988.
  9. News: Michelle Kaufman. Kicking his chance away? Bucs' Robbins knows his punting must improve, and soon. St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.. August 5, 1988. https://archive.today/20130201043734/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/51352814.html?dids=51352814:51352814&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+05,+1988&author=MICHELLE+KAUFMAN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&desc=Kicking+his+chance+away%3F+//+Bucs'+Robbins+knows+his+punting+must+improve,+and+soon&pqatl=google. dead. February 1, 2013.
  10. News: Punter Robins joins Bears. St. Petersburg Times. August 24, 1998.
  11. News: Patriots Get Punter. The Lewiston Daily Sun (AP story). April 26, 1989.
  12. News: Jim Donaldson. PATRIOTS JOURNAL Saga of signing Russ Francis hits snarl, keeps media busy. Providence Journal, Providence, R.I.. August 18, 1989. https://web.archive.org/web/20121103221234/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/projo/access/596718641.html?dids=596718641:596718641&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+18,+1989&author=Jim+Donaldson&pub=The+Providence+Journal&desc=PATRIOTS+JOURNAL+Saga+of+signing+Russ+Francis+hits+snarl,+keeps+media+busy&pqatl=google. dead. November 3, 2012.
  13. News: Transactions. The New York Times. April 30, 1992.
  14. Web site: Monte Robbins. LinkedIn.com. September 20, 2010.
  15. Web site: Monte Robbins. spoke.com. September 20, 2010.