Bucknell University Athletics
Four-Year Starter Bryce Robertson Stays Humble Despite Success
10/5/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 5, 2011
By Becky Hart, Bucknell Athletic Communications
With its most recent win - a 34-9 rout of Princeton on the road - Bucknell football is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since 2008. While a number of things could account for the Bison's turnaround after going 1-10 a year ago, few can ignore the impact of senior defensive back Bryce Robertson. Making Robertson's contributions that much more noteworthy is his unexpected path to success. The four-year starter didn't begin playing organized football until late in his high school career, but a commitment to being the best teammate possible has turned Robertson and his squad into the Bison to watch this fall. What most people don't realize is that it all started on the soccer pitch.
"My first love - only people on the football team know - was soccer, actually," Robertson reveals of his time growing up in Louisiana when he started playing on select all-star teams at a young age. "I got really good at that. I used to travel a lot and go to the Wide World of Sports at Disney. We got invited because we used to win local championships. We actually won three or four of those."
Kept busy on Saturdays with soccer games, Robertson missed playing other organized sports, football included, until he reached East St. John Senior High School. Having honed his skills playing street ball, he joined the school's basketball team as a freshman, mostly entering the game in defensive situations. It wasn't until his junior year that he hit the gridiron, and even then it wasn't until his senior season that he became the defensive player that Bison fans have come to know.
"I started off as a receiver. I used to catch the ball a lot, but I liked to be physical," says Robertson of his first foray into organized football, although Bucknell head coach Joe Susan might jokingly dispute his charge's catching abilities. "And then my senior year, two games in, a safety got in trouble at school and got kicked off the team. The coaches needed a safety. Sure enough, I was a good fit. That's when I had a breakout season my senior year. I would have never thought it, but I had a breakout year defensively. I had eight or nine interceptions, and I was just making tackles all over the place. That's how I made the transition to play defense."
The move turned out to be a good one for both Robertson and Bucknell. Since joining the Orange and Blue, the management major has installed himself in the starting lineup, recorded more than 100 career tackles and has become Bucknell's go-to player for punt returns. This season, he's started to make a name for himself with interceptions as well. Just before the Princeton game, Robertson said he was still looking for his breakthrough season but that his increasing number of pickoffs was definitely a career highlight.
"Coming into this season, I had only one (interception) for my whole career and now already in three games, I've doubled that. It's pretty exciting to think about that."
Robertson then added two more interceptions against the Tigers, bringing his season total to four already. But that's not likely to go to his head as he says he's trying to "just be humble about it" with his goal being to "continue to put in the hard work that I did and continue to do my job on the team to make the defense effective."
Doing what's best for the group has been a common thread in much of Robertson's career. Since stepping into the opening at safety in high school, he has continued to foster that team-first attitude throughout his time at Bucknell. On the field, he's just one piece of a machine, not overly special alone but still vital to the success of the unit.
"My role on the team is definitely like any other role. It's an 11-man scheme, so everybody has to do their job to make the defense effective," says Robertson. "If every man does his job, then that allows others to make plays. If the defensive line gets a good pass rush, and the linebackers have good coverage, and they make the quarterback throw the ball up, that makes it easier for the DBs just to go up and get it."
It was even a collective effort that helped Robertson get acclimated to small-town life in Lewisburg after growing up around New Orleans. By coming to campus the summer before his rookie season, Robertson, who says that settling into the social life at Bucknell was one of the hardest adjustments to make initially, made quick friends with the other players. They introduced him to their friends who then became his friends and so on. Now a senior, he's trying to take the younger players under his wing in the same way to make their transition as painless for them as it was for him.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that encouraging relationships would carry such importance for Robertson. While his family was fortunate enough to avoid the worst of the damage, Robertson saw several friends get displaced and not return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
"I don't really see them too often. It's just something you've got to deal with and realize that they made their decisions," he says of friends who transferred to other schools. "It's for the best for them. You've just got to be happy for them."
Now at Bucknell, it's those connections he has made through football that will leave a lasting impression.
"It's crazy how much time you can spend with your friends just talking about stuff," said Robertson. "Being here at Bucknell, the relationships that I have gained, I think they'll stay with me. A lot of these players, the seniors I've spent four years with now, I've gotten to know a lot. I don't think that's something that you can do, just graduate and forget to call Sean Rafferty, you know? Carson Rohrbaugh, Frank DeNick, Gabe Skwara. You always keep them in mind in everything you do, always wonder how they're doing, hope they're doing well, try to help them out if you can. Being here has definitely allowed me to gain some priceless friendships."
Robertson came to Bucknell because while he knew he would play football somewhere, this is where he could also find the best academics. Putting aside any concerns over the size of Lewisburg or the general anxiety of starting college, he made the move north and couldn't be happier with how things have turned out.
"This year I'm doing whatever I can to make this my best season and I'm just trying to go out with a bang. Hopefully that results in helping the team win the Patriot League championship and going far into the playoffs.
"I'm happy with my decision," continues Robertson, who is surprising even himself by applying to graduate schools to pursue an MBA. "I love it here now. At first I was kind of uneasy with the transition, but I love it here. I love this school, I love playing for Coach Susan and I love playing with this team."
Note: This story appeared in a recent edition of the Bucknell Football Gameday Program.
