ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS FOOTBALL

October 7, 2023

Tyrell Robinson

Press Conference

Boston College 27, Army 24

Q. Tyrell, how was it for you just getting out on the field, playing a full game, scoring a touchdown today after your long recuperation?

TYRELL ROBINSON: It was just a great opportunity to support my teammates. It was great to be out there with the team. It was great to contribute to the team today on the field, and it was really exciting.

Next week, hopefully we get the win.

Q. Were there stages to your recovery? You didn't play in the spring. We didn't see you much in August, and you were getting back into some reps during the season. How was it for you to get back to just feeling like you could go out on the field?

TYRELL ROBINSON: I mean, it feels good. Coach Thatcher has been doing a really good job. A lot of players have been helping me out with getting me back on the field, and the training staff worked their tails off to make sure I'm healthy and my rehab goes very well, and the strength staff, as well.

It was really a collective effort, and it wasn't just a trademark for me, it was a trademark for a lot of people.

Q. Just about your touchdown, 10 yards, first touchdown for Army in the second half. Just tell us about the play.

TYRELL ROBINSON: Great blocking up front, and it looked just like it did in practice. Coach Paige told me that we're going to pop one today, and he was right. O-line did a great job, though.

Q. The offensive team really seemed to pick it up in the second half, you included. Did you find yourself maybe a little bit cautious in the first half, or do you think the team in general just turned it on? What happened in the second half?

TYRELL ROBINSON: We just came out playing too timid. I think that we could have played harder in the first half. But when we went in for halftime, there was no looking back. We can't think about all the -- we can't fix what we did in the first half pretty much, so we came out the second half like our hair was on fire.

It was maybe the rain, I don't know, but it was definitely a mindset when we came out the second half that we're going to move this ball and we're going to score.

Q. Takeaway for next week, big game next week. What are you thinking about? What do you think the team is thinking about as you go into a week from now?

TYRELL ROBINSON: Back to the drawing board tomorrow. We've got practice tomorrow, so we're going to brush up on the mistakes that we made today and move on from there, try to make sure those mistakes don't happen again.

Q. Just wondering, when you can reach the end zone on your first game back, does that give you reassurance that hey, all the hard work was paying off? I guess I'm asking you the feeling.

TYRELL ROBINSON: It was definitely a great feeling, but like I said earlier, it was a great feeling for a lot of people that contributed to my rehab. I can't thank them enough. Yeah, it was really just exciting to get in the end zone and celebrate with my teammates.

Q. Go back a year ago; did you expect to be out this long? Did you have a sense?

TYRELL ROBINSON: I had no idea. The trainers were telling me one thing, and I was hearing another thing from other people. I mean, it was just however long it takes, as long as I come back healthy and I can contribute to this team, that's all that mattered.

Q. How tough was it being out this long?

TYRELL ROBINSON: Definitely tough. Tough not being around the guys as much. There's different things that I have to -- I have to do rehab at a different time while the team is doing something else.

It was definitely difficult, but the guys still surrounded me with love. It's a brotherhood. They never forgot about me.

Q. Coach said that this was really up to how you felt and how the trainers felt about it. When did you get to the decision to go ahead, and what's it been like the last couple weeks? How close were you?

TYRELL ROBINSON: Well, the last couple weeks it was like a here or there. We kind of knew that we were going to shoot for week 5. My athletic trainer told me week 5.

It's not really like a split decision. It's like a decision that lingers over weeks and how I'm feeling, how the trainers feel I'm moving.

But I think the training staff did a really great job with my rehab, and they do a great job in there. I'm really happy that we have this training staff here.

Q. Do you expect good contributions the rest of the way?

TYRELL ROBINSON: I expect to do what I'm coached to do, sir.