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Grateful for the honor, Robbins said “it’s the right time.�

“Whether I should’ve been in earlier or not, I’m in,� Robbins said. “I’m in the the Ring of Honor and I’m humbled by that. It’s the right time. I’ve got a couple of grandkids, so they can come see it. That’ll be great.�

Robbins will be officially inducted into the 52-player Arizona Stadium Ring of Honor, along with former Arizona wide receiver and Carolina Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan, during Arizona’s season opener against Hawaii on Aug. 30.

Robbins is “truly touched and humbled by this� honor, he said.

“This is truly special because it’s kind of like a boys club and I was finally able to get in,� Robbins said. “I’m really humbled by this and just kind of speechless.�

Sharing the stage with McMillan is “truly a blessing,� Robbins added.

“You’ve got a wide receiver and a defensive back going in at the same time,� he said. “He had a great college career, he’s a great player and he’s going into the NFL as a high first-round draft pick. He’s a skilled young man. I look forward to having a conversation and talking with him. He’s a great kid and I look forward to meeting him.�

Robbins was born and raised in Casa Grande and was the youngest of six siblings. His father was a World War II veteran and was a Casa Grande city employee, while his mother was a caretaker for senior citizens. The Robbins siblings “were raised to get an education,� he said.

“They taught us the value of education and how that would further our families, so that’s what we did,� said Robbins.

Robbins and his five other siblings all graduated from college or trade school.

Robbins went to the UA from 1980-83 and became one of the program’s top defensive backs.

As a cornerback, Robbins finished his UA career with 12 interceptions, which is tied for the 10th-most in program history. Robbins had four pick-sixes at Arizona from 1980-83. He’s tied with Trevin Wade for the ninth-most pass deflections (28). In 1982, Robbins led the Pac-10 in interceptions (6). Robbins was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection and a second-team All-American in 1983.

Robbins was a fourth-round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 1984 NFL Draft and played eight seasons in Denver, before a brief stint with the New England Patriots. Robbins played in three Super Bowls with the Broncos, along with former Arizona running back Vance Johnson and star linebacker Ricky Hunley, who was Robbins’ roommate at the UA. Robbins was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Robbins’ son, Josh, played defensive back for the Wildcats from 2010-13 following a standout career at Canyon del Oro High School, which was capped by a Class 4A state championship.

The older Robbins returned to Casa Grande and is currently the athletic director at Casa Grande Union High School.

“One of my wishes when I came back was to help out the next generation because I was one of the first guys from my community to play pro football,� Robbins said. “I came back to let kids know that you can accomplish things if you set goals and work hard for it. That was my mantra when I came back home.�

Even though Robbins wasn’t a first-team All-American, a Player of the Year award winner or a player with a 10-plus-year career in the NFL, Robbins’ positive impact on the program over the years and his accomplishments got him into the Arizona Stadium Ring of Honor.

Robbins joined “Spears & Ali� on ESPN Tucson to discuss his Arizona and NFL careers — and his current passion as Casa Grande’s athletic director.

How do you look back on your Arizona career?

A: “Coming into Arizona, I believe we were in our third year in the Pac-10 at the time, so Arizona was making its way and we were just trying to make our mark in the Pac-10. I was recruited by Tony Mason, but I didn’t play for him. Larry Smith came in and took a bunch of kids and we worked hard and got better each year. That was our goal, just get better each year. We achieved some great victories during those times, beating Notre Dame and USC.

“We played hard, especially on defense and I played with some great players. Ricky and Lamont Hunley were my teammates and also my roommates. It was an awesome experience playing for the University of Arizona.�

What is your favorite memory of your playing career at Arizona?

A: “Beating (unbeaten) Notre Dame in South Bend (in 1982). That was a great victory, because we were on their field. Max Zendejas, they show that field goal all the time. That was a great victory, playing in South Bend in front of that crowd, because that’s a great crowd to play in front of. The next one was probably beating (No. 1) USC (in 1981). Marcus Allen won the Heisman, but we beat them at their place 13-10. Those two victories stand out the most during our time at Arizona.�

You were drafted by the Broncos and played in three Super Bowls. How do you reflect on your professional career?

A: “It’s great. We didn’t win, however, being second in the world ain’t bad either. That’s how I view it, because there’s a lot of teams that don’t get a chance to play in that game. We played against great teams and didn’t play well on those days — and that’s OK. It was a great experience and wonderful. Those teams were great. I got to play with John Elway. I’ve known John since college, because we played against him when he was at Stanford. He was a great quarterback and he’s obviously a Hall of Famer, which we all knew he was going to get there. It was just a great opportunity to play for that team and that organization.�

Why do you take so much pride in giving back to the Casa Grande community?

A: “That’s what we’re destined to do. People in my community treated me well. They cheered for me, they went to my games in college, they went to my games in the pros. The people in my community supported me and cheered for me. The least I can do is the same. The kids in my community, if they want to go down this path of athletics, I have this knowledge to give them and help them on their journey. It’s the least I can do for what my community did for me.�