Bengals Rookie Landon Robinson Arrives for First NFL Game in Full Military Dress

Before taking the field for the first regular-season game of his NFL career, Bengals rookie and U.S. Marine Corps officer Landon Robinson arrived at Paycor Stadium in his military dress uniform.

There are plenty of ways for an NFL rookie to make his first game-day arrival.

Landon Robinson chose one that said considerably more about who he is than anything he could have pulled from a designer rack.

The Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive tackle arrived at Paycor Stadium on Sunday for the first regular-season game of his NFL career wearing his full military dress uniform.

Robinson walked into the stadium carrying his Bengals gear in one hand, a quiet intersection of the two paths he has worked years to earn.

The NFL shared video of his arrival before Cincinnati's Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

.@Bengals rookie and former @NavyFB DL Landon Robinson came suited in his full service dress for his first game in the league. 🫡

(via @NoelleBlumel)pic.twitter.com/368xF4JWW8

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

“Bengals rookie and former NavyFB DL Landon Robinson came suited in his full service dress for his first game in the league,” the league wrote.

For Robinson, however, the uniform wasn't a costume or a game-day tribute. It's part of who he is.

Landon Robinson Is a U.S. Marine Corps Officer

Robinson graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May with a degree in cyber operations. Days later, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

His military commitment didn't disappear when the NFL called.

Robinson explained after the draft that he would serve under a 10-year reserve commitment while pursuing his professional football career.

“The Naval Academy, it's a leadership laboratory,” Robinson said when the Bengals asked how his time there had shaped him. “So being able to be there, to go to the Naval Academy and just have the background that I've had is just truly a blessing, so I'm thankful for it.”

That background accompanied an extraordinary football career in Annapolis.

Robinson became the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 and earned first-team AP All-America honors, becoming Navy's first football player in 40 years and first defensive player in 50 years to receive the distinction. He finished his Navy career with 153 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks.

Then came the NFL Draft.

Landon Robinson's Bengals Draft Pick Carried Special Meaning

Cincinnati selected Robinson with the No. 226 overall pick in April. That number has a special place in NFL and military history.

Pat Tillman was selected 226th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998 before later leaving his NFL career to enlist in the U.S. Army. The Pat Tillman Foundation announced Robinson's selection on draft day.

For a Naval Academy graduate preparing for his own military service, the connection wasn't lost on him.

“It couldn't be a cooler award, and I think that just truly represents the military and the service,” Robinson said after being drafted. “To be able to have that pick tied to me just means a lot, for sure.”

The selection also brought Robinson home. He grew up in Fairlawn, Ohio, near Akron, and his father, Lance, has been a lifelong Bengals fan.

Robinson still had to earn his place after Cincinnati drafted him in the seventh round. He did, making the Bengals' 53-man roster out of training camp.

On Sunday, the 23-year-old finally arrived for his first NFL regular-season game.

First came the military uniform. Then came the Bengals one.