DURHAM — Duke fullback Tielor Robinson, though a true Blue Devil as nephew to former Duke greats Cedric and Walter Jones, still has allegiances to the friends he had while playing football at Army.
So Duke's 41-31 win over Navy on Saturday had significance outside of Durham and Annapolis, Md.
Robinson, who transferred from Army to Duke in 2005, represented the last chance his West Point cadet friends had to beat Navy. Robinson's Army class went 0-4 against the Midshipmen. Navy has beaten Army the past six seasons.
Robinson nearly went 0-for-his-career against Navy. He had to sit out a redshirt season in 2005 when he transfered to Duke and Duke lost to Navy that year. The Devils lost again in 2006 with Robinson on the field and in 2007 with Robinson at home, out for the season, watching on television.
Robinson, who missed nine games as a fifth-year Duke senior in 2007 with a broken ankle, earned a sixth year of eligibility, and another shot at the Middies, because of the injury.
Here Robinson discusses how it felt to finally beat Navy.
