Bruce Irvin Dishes Advice for Seahawks Rookie Alton Robinson Heading Into NFL Debut

RENTON, WA - On September 9, 2012, Bruce Irvin took the field sporting a Seahawks uniform for the first time. Nine years later, he doesn't remember much about that afternoon, which ended in a 20-16 loss to the Cardinals in Glendale.

Looking at the box score, it's easy to see why that game has cobwebs surrounding it in Irvin's memory bank. Though he played 33 defensive snaps in his debut, he wasn't credited with a single tackle and would have been completely absent on the stat sheet if not for a hit on quarterback John Skelton midway through the fourth quarter.

With that said, Irvin did remember one ever-so-important detail from that gut-wrenching defeat that ended with a fourth down stop by Arizona four yards away from the goal line: the colors of the uniform tops and pants worn by Seattle.

"Oh, it was at Arizona?," Irvin said after asking reporters who the Seahawks played in the season opener. "I remember that. We wore white on grey, I remember that."

Though he would likely be able to tell you the uniform combination Seattle wore in Week 9 of the 2015 season, Irvin's apparent photographic memory didn't allow him to recall much from his first game in Arizona. But while their situations aren't identical given the elimination of preseason games due to COVID-19, he has plenty of perspective to offer rookie rusher Alton Robinson as he takes the field for the first time on Sunday.

In particular, Irvin remembers how he prepared himself mentally to play against the Cardinals that week, with the goal to play fast and not let the moment become too much for him.

"Technically, in his situation, he will probably get at most 20-25 snaps. So I would say for him, I would put in my mind 'I'm going to go out here and I'm gonna just play as hard as I can for 20 reps,'" Irvin said. "It only takes one rep to get a sack, so that was my mindset."

As one of the biggest surprises in Seattle's training camp, Irvin had a front row seat watching Robinson impress during individual and team drills last month. The fifth-round pick out of Syracuse consistently flashed on the practice field, generating pressure off the edge as a rusher and making several nice run stops in the backfield.

Reporting to camp at 10 pounds heavier than his college days, coach Pete Carroll initially had some reservations about Robinson's extra muscle. But as camp unfolded, the additional weight proved beneficial, providing him more power without sacrificing athleticism while battling against NFL offensive linemen.

As a result of his stellar play and fellow rookie Darrell Taylor remaining sidelined for at least six more weeks on the Non-Football Injury List, Robinson should have a prime opportunity at significant playing time in his first NFL game. Potentially playing snaps at both end spots, he could be an unexpected X-factor early in the season for Seattle.

Having only participated in intrasquad mock scrimmages to this point, as Carroll noted last week, the Seahawks don't know how what to expect when Robinson lines up against starting NFL tackles on other teams. Even without fans in attendance, the spotlight will be tougher to handle for some wide-eyed rookies than others.

After seeing Robinson shine over the past several weeks, however, Irvin has no doubt the rookie will be ready to deliver when called upon and maximize on his opportunities looking to help his new team pick up a season-opening road victory.

"He's doing a great job of just handling his job, doing what is asked of him. If that comes down to it, I'm sure he'll be prepared to give us his all for those snaps that he's in."