Robert Herron: "Nothing is Given"

New rookie Robert Herron learned long ago that “nothing is given.” Herron had a rough upbringing. His father was incarcerated for much of his childhood. The absence of his father, combined with the inconsistent presence of his mother, led to him being taken in by a family member who cared for him as her own. In school, Herron faced more hardships. He didn’t receive many scholarship offers as a high school senior, despite his hard work and achievements and the fact that Herron lettered in both football and track in his final two years. His break finally came when he was offered the opportunity to leave South Central Los Angeles and begin a new journey in Wyoming.

Having no parental figures and living in an environment where there were many distractions and temptations, Herron was set up for failure. However, with drive to succeed and to escape his childhood neighborhood, Herron did just that. When Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo, who was then the recruiting coordinator for University of Wyoming, reached out to Herron, he was offering more than just a scholarship. Arroyo offered him an opportunity to prove wrong anyone who has ever doubted him and to ensure that his future was a complete contrast of his past.

At Wyoming, Herron racked up 152 receptions for 2,030 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, using his speed and endurance to regularly be a threat on the field as both a running back and receiver.  One of the best performances of his career was against Texas, when he recorded 5 catches for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns. Herron demonstrated speed, quickness and tackle breaking ability during the impressive performance. During his senior year, Herron played a big role in Wyoming’s 59-56 win over Hawaii, hauling in 11 catches for 141 yards and 4 touchdowns. He finished the season with 72 receptions for 937 yards and 9 touchdowns.

After the season, Herron was invited to the Senior Bowl and he jumped at the opportunity to go against the best of the best competition so that he could prove that he belonged, and he did. In practices, Herron regularly beat opposing cornerbacks with his combination of quick cuts and speed. Although he only caught one pass during the Senior Bowl game, Herron made his mark on draft scouts and, in their eyes, undoubtedly raised his draft stock, pushing himself into the third to fourth round range. Add in the 4.25 and 4.29 times he clocked in the 40-yard dash during his pro day and he was a lock.

Fast-forward to the draft. As the third and fourth round pass by, Herron’s name is yet to be called and he shows small hints of frustration via Twitter, with one post saying “It’s coo, I’m used to having to prove myself” and another saying “My phone must not be working.” Friends and followers chimed in, stating that teams were sleeping on Herron and not giving him his proper due. In the sixth round, Herron finally heard his name called. Herron was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His next tweet? “So blessed to be part of the @TBBuccaneers organization.”

Since becoming part of the Buccaneers, the rookie has stated that he’s carrying a chip on his shoulder because he feels that he should have been drafted earlier. Herron also stated that he’s modeling his game after Steve Smith, the now Raven who tortured the NFC South for years before departing the Panthers this past offseason. Herron has the speed, quickness and build to be a similar receiver to Smith, who was taken in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft—the same range that Herron expected himself to be selected. Like Smith, he will also be given the opportunity to make a difference in the return game and as a receiver if he can beat out players like Skye Dawson, Chris Owusu, Eric Page and Louis Murphy.

Although he’s just 5’9”, Herron has continuously stood tall in the face of  challenges, meeting them all.  Despite every excuse to fail, Herron has pushed himself to success, and nothing has been given.