Michigan punter Brad Robbins got a life-changing phone call on Saturday. But if you listen to his voice, it sure sounds like he thought he was being pranked.
The Bengals took Robbins with the last pick of the sixth round on Saturday afternoon and when Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor called him to break the news, Robbins didn’t sound like any other draftee getting that highly anticipated call.
“Brad, this is Zac Taylor at the Bengals,” Taylor said.
“Oh, Zac Taylor,” Robbins replied, sounding a little sarcastic. “How’s it going?”
“I’m doing great, man,” Taylor responded. “You wanna come be a Bengal?”
.@__BR91 did you think this was a prank call? 😂#RuleTheJungle | @IEL_LLC pic.twitter.com/gairWTDni1
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 29, 2023
The biggest tell that Robbins thought somebody was pulling his leg was when Taylor said, “We’re going to draft you right here” and Robbins responded, “Oh, yes, sir. I appreciate that,” without even a little bit of excitement in his voice.
But it really was Taylor on the other end of the line and after a few more seconds it finally hit Robbins.
“Holy s---,” he said. “Thank you.”
Punters don’t get taken very often in the draft, so you can forgive Robbins for thinking someone was having a little fun, but Robbins has an impressive résumé that includes three All-Big Ten selections.
It was a great weekend for the Wolverines’ specialists, as kicker Jake Moody was taken in the third round by the 49ers. Michigan is just the second school in the last 40 years to have its kicker and punter selected in the same draft.
