Troy’s Robinson looks to best brother in ‘Clash of the Flash IV’
Published 11:47 pm Friday, October 25, 2013
Trojan quarterback Corey Robinson, a Paducah, Ky. native, will have many friends and family supporting him Saturday at Western Kentucky, but one of his biggest supporters will be on the Hilltoppers’ sideline.
Jamarielle Brown, wide receiver for the Hilltoppers, was a teammate of Robinson’s at Lone Oak High School and moved in with the Robinson family during his freshman year.
“He still stays with us and he’s just a part of the family,” Robinson said. “We just think of him as a brother.”
Brown is a year younger than Robinson and the two met when Brown came to his first high school football practice.
“We just hit it off,” Robinson said. “I was like ‘Man, this guy’s pretty good from being a middle school kid.’”
Brown moved in with the Robinson’s that year avoiding a family move to Tennessee.
“I didn’t want to lose him as a receiver to start off with, and then we just grew really close as friends,” Robinson said.
Paducah is around two hours away from Bowling Green, Ky. but Robinson is expecting a large crowd of Lone Oak Flash fans in attendance on Saturday.
“I’ve been talking to all my buddies and their families and stuff and everybody’s going to try to make it up to the game,” Robinson said. “Not just to watch me but to watch Jamarielle too.”
The family and friends who made the trip to Troy for the 2012 match-up saw Robinson get knocked out of the game late in the first half.
Though Western Kentucky went on to win the game, Robinson wasn’t letting Brown off without a few words over Christmas break.
“When I came out we were up. That’s all I had to tell him,” Robinson said. “He said, ‘we won in the end’ and that was the end of that battle. We don’t argue too much.”
In the Clash of the Lone Oak Flash the past three seasons, Western Kentucky has taken two of the contests.
Robinson and the Trojans won in 2010, but Brown and the Hilltoppers have taken the last two and Robinson is looking to break that streak.
“The older brother’s got to hopefully go up there and even it out for the series,” Robinson said.
Robinson might be looking for the win on Saturday, but he’ll also be cheering for Brown.
“He [Robinson] just told me to take it easy on him,” safety Chris Pickett said. “I told him I can’t do that.”
“I hope he has 300 yards,” Robinson said.
Head coach Larry Blakeney isn’t buying into all the family love though.
“I’d say Corey’s trying to beat Western Kentucky, no matter what,” Blakeney said. “Brother or no brother.”
Robinson said his father doesn’t wear a jersey on game day but his step-mom will be in a customized half Troy, half Western Kentucky shirt.
Since the family will be divided on Saturday, Robinson suggested his father break out the Lone Oak High School hat.
“I’m gonna tell him to do that, to keep it fair,” Robinson said.
“As long as Corey wears that Troy jersey, that’s all I’m worried about,” Blakeney said.
Robinson and the Trojans will suit up and take the field for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Western Kentucky on Saturday.