Almost two years ago, Kenny Robinson's NFL future was in doubt.
After playing in 25 total games in two seasons at West Virginia and being named a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2019, Robinson received a call in 2018 saying that he had been kicked out of the school for academic violations.
Now, after taking the necessary steps to fix his mistakes, the safety is a fifth-round draft pick with the Carolina Panthers.
Instead of waiting in the NCAA transfer portal and trying to become eligible again after getting dismissed by West Virginia, Robinson chose to enter the new XFL and was drafted by the St. Louis Battlehawks.
"I never lost faith and knew I was an NFL player," Robinson said via Zoom after he was drafted. "I never gave up on my dream and I always knew I would get there but it would be when I got there. That was the biggest thing for me."
He wrote about how in 2018, his mother had two strokes and was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Robinson knew he would take care of his mother but lost focus with all the responsibility and playing football.
He had a friend do an assignment for him and after the season, the school investigated the situation and ended up kicking him out for academic dishonesty.
"I have no problem admitting it. I cheated. I got caught. I made a stupid decision, and I don’t have any excuses," Robinson wrote in the letter. "I had the opportunity to do the right thing, and I chose to do the wrong thing. That’s it. I own that."
The XFL season was cut short after five games due to the COVID-19 pandemic but in that short period of time, Robinson believes it helped him become a better man and football player.
"The XFL was the best opportunity for me. It benefitted me in so many ways just by preparing me to be a professional," Robinson said. "I was a professional football player the last few months before anyone else could be. Just the way they treated me and putting in the extra work and doing things on my own time. My time management skills, maturing as a man, it was the best decision for me."
The opportunity that Carolina has given Robinson will allow him to finally prove his growth and worth.