Amik Robertson's 'Warrior' Mindset Carried Him a Long Way, Can it Help Him Succeed in Detroit?
The short statured corner came a long way from Thibodaux, Louisiana to the bright lights of the NFL, but can he take the next step he needs to in Detroit?
Jordan Love found a lifeline.
The four-man rush had got to him almost immediately, forcing him to step forward in the pocket and quickly dash to his left. When he finally got a free moment to look up field, he spotted his most trusted receiver, second-year pass catcher Christian Watson, as he towered over a cornerback 7 inches smaller than him while streaking down the sideline towards the end zone. The young quarterback channeled the Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre within him, seemingly a feature of donning the iconic yellow Green Bay Packers helmet, and threw a perfect arching pass on the run. Watson watched as the ball traveled towards him, he’d later be criticized for not being more active in attacking it. One player who did attack the ball was Amik Robertson, the undersized little-known corner who was drafted on day 3 out of Louisiana Tech four years earlier. Robertson snagged the ball out of the air, landing in bounds, and securing the Las Vegas Raiders a statement 17-13 win over the Packers on Monday Night Football.
“Good night!” Joe Buck exclaimed while Robertson, joined by safety Marcus Epps, took off in celebration. The ESPN cameras then cut to Watson, sitting with his legs outstretched, still confused as to what happened.
It was a famous night for the Raiders. A team in a lurch, having lost three straight, just earned a huge victory against a formidable foe to keep their season from going adrift. Robertson and his mates in the secondary revved up the crowd as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo retook the field to kill the rest of the clock.
The atmosphere was buzzing. The afterparty was just starting in one of the world's glitziest and most glamorous cities, and Robertson was the star of the show.
“We had it tough growing up,” Robertson told local news reporters about his upbringing ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The young corner, now 25, grew up in Thibodaux, Louisiana, a bayou town around 50 miles southwest of New Orleans. A town with one of the nation’s highest crime rates. A town where a quarter of the population is living in poverty.
Robertson’s dad was in prison for selling drugs and didn’t enter his life until he was 11-years-old. His mother, Kima – Robertson’s first name is his mother’s spelled backwards – worked hard to raise him as a single mother. His high school career was nearly derailed when he became a father at age 15, and again when he suffered a serious knee injury before his senior year.
His family, he says, remained his backbone, and kept him afloat as he faced adversity.
“I knew my family believed in me. They've always had my back,” he told Houma news at the time. “They kept me strong. They helped make me the player and the man that I am today.”
“I'm not only doing this for my family, but I have a community behind me. They are behind me 100 percent,” he added.
The intense connection Robertson feels towards his family and the greater Thibodaux community remains throughout his career. Throughout the draft process, he referenced wanting to make the NFL, not to meet his own personal ambitions, but to make his family proud and to do something great for his community.
He was nicknamed “warrior” by his grandfather, Ephon Anderson Sr. When Ephon died in 2014, Robertson took on the name as a challenge, playing like a warrior week-in-week-out.
“[I have] that warrior mindset, the mindset my grandfather gave me. I know I made him proud tonight.”
Robertson would play college ball at Louisiana Tech, on the north side of the state in Ruston. He would emerge as a leading corner in Conference USA from 2017 to 2019, as his incredible speed and acceleration made up for his small, 5’8, 180 lb, size. He notched 14 interceptions, four sacks and 23 tackles for loss in three years with the Bulldogs. On film, he flew around the field. It seemed like his favorite hobby was driving downhill to blow up receivers catching passes in the flat. He played as a boundary corner, nickel and safety for Tech. In a pre-draft interview, he compared his game to that of former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu.
“The only thing I wasn’t blessed with was the height,” he would remark.
He declared for the NFL draft a year early — not typical of players in CUSA, but he was obviously too good to be playing there — and turned his sights towards pro ball.
A groin injury late in his college career would force him to skip out on athletic testing, however. Not being able to dazzle NFL scouts with his athleticism at the combine, mixed with his smaller stature, caused him to slip on draft weekend.
The Raiders would select him 139th overall, making him a part of the team’s inaugural draft class in Vegas.
Robertson is obviously very aware that he is a little undersized. He mentions it all the time. In his introductory presser with the Lions he joked that God gave him a lot, but didn’t give him great height.
But his smaller stature seems to have also given him the work ethic and attitude he needs to survive in the cutthroat world of the NFL. The corner credits his swagger for getting him this far, and for allowing him to compete every day.
“That’s what got me here. That’s what got me here and what’s keeping me in this league,” he said. “5’8, coming from Louisiana Tech, come on man, it’s not easy. Being a confident guy, playing with that swagger, playing with that energy, that’s what got me here.”
The Lions are a team brimming with swagger, and it’s that swagger that brought the young corner to Detroit.
“The swagger, the grit. The energy that the defense plays [with],” Robertson told reporters about why he signed with the Lions. “And most importantly, the swagger and energy that coach Dan [Campbell has].”
Culture has been more important to the Lions during Campbell’s reign as head coach than any other team. A team that prides itself on playing with “grit” and “biting knee caps”. They don’t always win, but it is rare they aren’t the most physical team on the field.
“I’m where I need to be. I’m where I belong,” Robertson added, with his hard hitting, all-or-nothing, play style fitting right in.
But swagger can only take a player so far. Robertson can play every position in the defensive backfield, but he is not particularly great at any of them. His lack of size is a hindrance, and while effort and ferocity — of which both Robertson is overflowing with — can’t always make up that gap. When a receiver plays with just as much effort as a corner, size usually wins out.
He prides himself on being able to play the ball and haul in interceptions, but his production on that front is lacking. His pick against the Packers was his first in 2023, and he only snagged one other the rest of the year. Robertson has snatched just four interceptions over his four year career, with each coming in the last two years.
During his presser he joked that he needed to hit the jugg machines to learn to catch and get his numbers up, but his hands and size are not the only problem. Robertson might actually be a decent receiver, as he played the position up until his senior year of high school.
His technique is poor, he turns slowly and gets his feet tangled. Robertson is overly reliant on his instincts, and using his long speed and short range quickness to make plays. He’s fast, and he can hit hard when he’s in the right place, but he often isn’t in the right place in the first place.
Robertson’s size won’t improve, but his technique might, however, leaving him with a lot of room for growth. He is just 25, and didn’t have the developmental advantage of playing at a major college program. A lot of the flaws in his game are things that can be improved
The raw talent is there in Robertson, and he is unlikely to be thrust into the fire in the Lions secondary. Carlton Davis will likely fill the CB1 slot, and Brian Branch has his grip on nickel. Cam Sutton was the front runner for CB2 before a legal situation put his status in jeopardy. This leaves Robertson competing with the recently re-signed Emmanuel Moseley for a starting spot in the defensive backfield.
Even if it isn’t him at CB2, his versatility makes him a good piece to have, as he can fill in anywhere when injuries inevitably occur during the grueling NFL season.
And for a player with the “warrior” mentality he carries, who has overcome so much to even get an opportunity to play in Detroit. The kid from bayou-ville who thrived under the bright lights in Las Vegas. He is likely to bring the confidence and swagger to whichever role he ends up filling for the Lions.