Vestavia Hills defensive lineman Alex Robin commits to Columbia

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Vestavia Hills standout defensive lineman Alex Robin has committed to play football at Columbia University in New York.

Columbia is an Ivy League school that participates at the Football Championship Subdivision of Division I but the Ivy League does not participate in the playoffs.

The 6-foot-1, 271-pound senior has been a stalwart for the Rebels throughout his varsity career. Coach Buddy Anderson called Robin the consummate team player. 

“He’s very dependable and he practices hard,” Anderson said. “He sets the right standard here and others look up to him because of that. He’s also an excellent student, with a 4.4 GPA.”

Robin also had an offer from Jacksonville State. 

His brother Joseph played football at Princeton, also of the Ivy League.

Nathaniel Robin, Alex’s father, said both sons had the same perspective when choosing a college.

“Both of them saw football as a way to get to an outstanding academic opportunity,” he said. “Alex loves football, and the Ivy League football is a lot more intense than people down here might think it is.

“There’s nothing he didn’t love about Jacksonville State. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Columbia does not have a storied history – in fact, it’s had several long losing streaks, including 21 straight losses heading into the 2015 season, which kicked off Sept. 19 against Fordham. The Lions also lost 44 straight – that’s an FCS record – in the 1980s.

But Columbia hired Al Bagnoli, the former Penn coach who has nine Ivy titles to his credit and is the winningest coach in FCS history.

Bagnoli had recruited Joseph Robin, so the family knew him. And with the new commitment Columbia has clearly made to winning football plus the opportunity of an Ivy League education, it was a no-brainer for Alex.

Plus the chance to roam around NYC for four years.

You’d have to be a dummy to pass on that. And Alex Robin ain’t no dummy.