Mountaineers in the Pros

Steelers Sign Former WVU Safety Kenny Robinson to Reserve/Future Contract

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2023

This story was initially part of a larger story by Alan Saunders for our partner Steelers Now.

Former Mountaineer Kenny Robinson is one of four players signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to reserve/future contracts for the 2023 season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Robinson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety that just finished his third pro season, left West Virginia early after the 2019 season and played in the spring of 2020 with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed former West Virginia safety Kenny Robinson to a Reserve/Future contract.
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) January 11, 2023

After his XFL season, Robinson was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Robinson did not mark the Panthers’ 53-man roster coming out of training camp, but hung around on the practice squad and ended up playing nine games in 2020 and 10 more in 2021.

Robinson had three separate stints on the Carolina practice squad this season, but was not called up to play in any games. In 19 total games, Robinson has 18 tackles. He played over 50% of Carolina’s special teams snaps in games he played.

Robinson played two seasons at West Virginia, and was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree. He started as a true freshman in 2017 and was the sixth-leading tackler on the Mountaineer with 46 stops. The also had three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

In 2018, he was a first-team all conference and was second in the league in interceptions with four. He was also second on the WVU team with 77 total tackles.

A Wilkinsburg native, Robinson graduated from Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh’s East Hills. Before that he played for University Prep in the Pittsburgh City League.

The Steelers have significant uncertainty at their safety position for 2023, where starting strong safety Terrell Edmunds and top backup Damontae Kazee are both unrestricted free agents, as is fellow West Virginia alum Karl Joseph, who spent the entire 2022 season on the Steelers’ injured reserve list.