Bijan Robinson Shares the Lessons From Steve Sarkisian He Uses in the NFL

The ex-Texas running back learned a lot from his old coach.

Steve Sarkisian helped shape Bijan Robinson into an NFL game-wrecker. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

When coach Steve Sarkisian arrived at Texas in 2021, he lent instant credibility to a program that had struggled to find lasting success since its 2000s heyday.

Accordingly, one of the biggest stars of his tenure has quickly become one of the biggest stars in the NFL. On Sept. 7, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson will open his third campaign with a 976-yard rookie season and a Pro Bowl sophomore season under his belt.

Sitting down virtually with SI to promote College Colors Day Tuesday, Robinson shared some of the wisdom Sarkisian imparted to him that he's put to use with Atlanta.

"Just understanding everything—understanding the whole offense, what everybody's doing on the field," Robinson said. "Seeing it at every single level—first, second, third level of defenses. He's such an offensive mind, but for his players, he wants to us to overachieve, because that's the goal he's set."

Asked to recall a specific incident where Sarkisian brought out the best in him, Robinson underlined the coach's exacting nature in constantly encouraging his players to go above and beyond.

"Every day. Every day that dude challenged me," Robinson said. "It would be some practices where if I just learned (something) and got it wrong, he would get on me, because he knew the expectation, and he knew (that I was) the leader of that team, and with everybody following my lead and seeing how I handle things, (he would) see how I handle the stress of what he's putting on me sometimes."

Robinson's perseverance was rewarded, as he finished ninth in the Heisman voting in his final season with the Longhorns. Sarkisian's Texas squad, on the other hand, is set to open 2025 as the No. 1 team in the country.

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