Terry Pluto Plain Dealer Columnist Cleveland -- Mark Iammarino remembers the first time he meant Brian Robiskie. "He was in eighth grade, kind of tall and skinny," said the Chagrin Falls football coach. "He didn't look like a natural athlete, just a kid who was still growing into his body." Iammarino said Robiskie's decision to attend Chagrin Falls was motored...
Terry Pluto
Plain Dealer Columnist
Cleveland -- Mark Iammarino remembers the first time he meant Brian Robiskie. "He was in eighth grade, kind of tall and skinny," said the Chagrin Falls football coach. "He didn't look like a natural athlete, just a kid who was still growing into his body."
Iammarino said Robiskie's decision to attend Chagrin Falls was motored by his mother, who loved the "New England feel" of the town. Terry Robiskie had been hired as the Browns' receivers coach, and the family was looking for a small town in which to live with a good school system.
"Cynthia [Robiskie] was very concerned about academics, and we are strong in that area," said Iammarino, who also is a guidance counselor at the school. "Terry and I talked a lot of football. But in the end, I think it was the academics that convinced them to send Brian."
In the ninth grade, Brian Robiskie played primarily on Chagrin's freshman team. He was on not one list as a hot college prospect.
"People have underestimated Brian for a long time," said Iammarino. "Things take a little time for him. He is not a super athlete. He has to work at everything, which he is willing to do."
While Robiskie became a star for the Tigers, he was playing Division IV. Chagrin Falls is a very good program, but it's not a major high school power.
"Even after he became a big time receiver for us, the major colleges mostly stayed away," said Iammarino. "He was a three-star recruit. Ohio State and Miami [Florida] were probably the two elite programs that wanted him. After that, it was Boston College, Northwestern and schools like that. He was not the guy that everyone was convinced would be a star."
But that's what Robiskie became at Ohio State.
"He's the kind of player who grows on you," said Iammarino. "He has tremendous character. He's very smart. When coach [Jim] Tressel came to the school to recruit Brian, he looked at his transcript with all these A's in honors courses, and coach Tressel said, 'You don't see many transcripts like these.' You look at all the boys in that family -- they are well-dressed and polite."
At Ohio State, Robiskie was on special teams as a freshman. He started only five games as a sophomore. By the time he graduated, he was an All-Big Ten receiver and an academic All-American. He finished No. 8 in school history with 127 catches, No. 4 with 24 for touchdowns.
"They probably won't say it, but I imagine Ohio State took Brian because he comes from a good family with his dad who is a coach -- and they figured he'd be a good kid for the program," said Iammarino. "They also knew he'd graduate, and signing him would create goodwill in the Cleveland area. But I doubt they ever dreamed he'd be that good on the field."
Which is why Iammarino says Browns fans should be patient with Robiskie.
Last year was a frustrating rookie season for Robiskie, the team's second-round pick. He was inactive for five games, had only one start and seven catches for the season. The coaches criticized him for not being able to help on special teams. There was a concern that Robiskie was "robotic" when running patterns, not adjusting to some of the coverages he faced.
Robiskie's confidence seemed to be shaken -- even if he won't admit it.
"There were just some things that I had work through," he said. "I really don't spend a lot of time looking back. I just want to get better."
If history matters, that will happen according to his high school coach.
"Brian is a different type person," said Iammarino. "He went on his college visit to Miami, and had no real interest in the South Beach party scene. When we talked about college, he was as interested in the academics as football."
Robiskie graduated in 3 1/2 years with a degree in business marketing and a 3.5 grade-point average.
Something else to consider about Robiskie: He's 22 and already in his second pro season. He is young enough to get physically stronger.
"High draft choices, rookie receivers, it's a different world for most of them," Browns President Mike Holmgren said. "You'll see a lot of fine college receivers drafted high, come in their first year and kind of putz it around a little bit. Then the second year, bang, because 'Now I get it.' Brian has a chance to be someone like that."
That has been the case ever since the players reported for voluntary workouts in the spring. For months, Browns coach Eric Mangini has made a point of praising Robiskie in news conferences -- sometimes when he was not even asked about the receiver.
"I think he's had the best off-season of any of the guys in terms of his growth and progress, and all of those things," said Mangini. "My expectation is that trend continues. It just reinforces the value of hard work and the value of consistency and the value of believing in your ability. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but it's right."
Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme has praised Robiskie for his "precise" running of pass patterns. The receiving group of Joshua Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi, Chansi Stuckey and Robiskie is one of the youngest in the NFL.
Cribbs is in his six season, but only now is the former Kent State quarterback expected to play regularly as a receiver. Stuckey has only five career starts. Massaquoi and Robiskie are in their second seasons.
Robiskie is expected to be in the starting lineup when the Browns open the season Sunday at Tampa Bay.
"Think about last season," said Iammarino. "The Browns had two young quarterbacks [Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn] not knowing who would start. They had a bunch of young receivers. That's not easy for any rookie. You watch, he'll be a different player this season with a veteran quarterback and knowing he'll get a real chance to play."