He came to Temple after graduating in 1951 from Bridgeton High School, where he was a four-sport athlete and a two-time all-state football player.
Retired Temple athletic director Gavin White Jr. was a senior quarterback for the Owls when Mr. Robinson was a freshman in 1951. "It was obvious, the potential he had," White said. "He was a great back, even then. I remember in a game against Delaware, they were beating us, 7-6, when Tex took off on a long reverse for a touchdown that was as good a run as I've ever seen."
After graduating from Temple in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in education, Mr. Robinson played for seven years in the Canadian Football League, picking up all-East honors as a back with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1956.
Mr. Robinson had to quit playing football because of cranky knees and returned to the Bridgeton area, where he began teaching health and physical education in the public school system.
When Cumberland Regional High School opened in 1977, Mr. Robinson was named its first football coach. He became athletic director in 1978, a job he held for about 10 years. He retired from teaching in 1997.
Mr. Robinson was inducted into Temple's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980. He also was a member of the Bridgeton South Jersey Sports Hall of Fame and the South Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame. He was a longtime member of the Cumberland County Board of Social Services.
Mr. Robinson is survived by his wife of 44 years, Lois; a son, Jamie; a daughter, Gay; and two brothers.
Services will be at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Performing Arts Center of Cumberland Regional High School, Silver Lake Road, Upper Deerfield Township. Burial was private. Memorial donations may be made to Dialysis Corp. of America, 1450 E. Chestnut Ave., Suite 2C, Vineland, N.J. 08630.
Contact Rusty Pray
at 215-854-2322 or rpray@phillynews.com.
