The cheers swell and the din of the crowd makes it nearly impossible to hear the announcement of the final score—NIU 73, Fresno State 18. That was October 6, 1990, when our first Heisman trophy candidate, Stacey Robinson, secured his place in the hearts of fans and in the pages of record books.

During three successful years with the Huskies, Robinson amassed seven NCAA records and honorable mentions from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly and The Chicago Tribune.

Unfortunately, his first NFL try out in the spring of 1991 was not successful. He was released from the Philadelphia Eagles during the pre-season. However, last spring he not only got a chance to play, but also coached for a team in Bolzano, Italy.

But where is he now? Well, there’s good news and bad news.

The good news is he came back to the United States and signed an Arena Football League contract with the Tampa Bay Storm. The Storm picked up the 6-foot 2-inch tall, 192-pound triple option quarterback to add to its 20 player active roster list for its June 26 game. For the game, which was against the Albany Firebirds, Robinson was listed as wide receiver/ linebacker/quarterback.

“That’s great, that’s really great,” said former Huskie gridiron coach Jerry Pettibone when informed of the contract. “He’s a great athlete and this could be a great restart for his career.”

Unfortunately, the bad news is because of the presence of Jay Grunden, the top-rated QB in the league, Robinson did not get a chance to play.

In addition, Storm media officials informed The Northern Star Monday morning that Robinson’s contract had been terminated after the game.

Robinson was unavailable for comment.

Tampa Bay Storm media officials informed The Northern Star Monday morning that Robinson’s contract had been terminated after the June 26 game.