Steelers linebacker Mark Robinson gets audition at fullback in goal-line drill

Mike Tomlin isn’t shy about asking players from other positions to take snaps at fullback in training camp.

Two years ago, center/guard Kendrick Green got a brief audition.

On Sunday, it was Mark Robinson’s turn to show what he could do.

Robinson, the team’s fourth-year inside linebacker, took two snaps at fullback when the Pittsburgh Steelers closed practice with a goal-line drill. Robinson blocked for Jaylen Warren and rookie Kaleb Johnson, with neither runner getting into the end zone.

Robinson played running back in college before transitioning to defense in his final year of eligibility The Steelers selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 draft.

“It’s not a completely foreign act,” Tomlin said. “We wanted to give him a look at it and see what it looked like. Maybe we’ll do some more in the future with him. Maybe we’ll do some more with others.”

The Steelers don’t have a true fullback on the roster. Tight end/H-back Connor Heyward has been used in that role, and he lined up in the backfield for the final two snaps of the goal-line drill. Rookie DJ Thomas-Jones played fullback in college, but he has worked primarily with the tight ends in camp.

“It’s just football,” Robinson said. “I’m down for whatever.”

For the drill, Robinson removed his gold No. 93 jersey and replaced it with a white top that was made for the occasion.

“I’m not going to make a big deal out of it,” Tomlin said. “I know it’s probably pretty interesting, but we just gave him a couple snaps.”

Robinson said he didn’t learn until Sunday morning that he would be tried out on offense.

“We were talking about it in meetings, and I thought they were joking until I saw him in the offensive room,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “It was crazy to see him on the other side of the ball.”