Bengals rookie Landon Robinson explains reasoning for pregame Marine Corps uniform

Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive tackle Landon Robinson didn't play a down in what could've been his first NFL game after landing on the inactives list last Sunday. However, he made plenty of headlines by rocking a military uniform prior to entering the Paycor Stadium locker room.

As Robinson gets ready to suit up once more for Week 2 against the Houston Texans, he's bound to wear his Marine Corps studs yet again. Or at least that's what he's revealed in a recent interview. Just take in the footage below for a second, though.

this wasn't a one-off. This is a tradition Robinson will uphold as long as he's in the NFL. He views it, to paraphrase the man himself, as an opportunity to honor military members past, present, and future, and he embraces the rarefied air he's in as an NFL player to carry that messaging.

Robinson takes deep pride in his military background and training

Landon Robinson sat down for an interview with WCPO's Noelle Blumel earlier this week to discuss his viral attire. Might as well just get right into it!

"I just thought it would be really cool [for] Week 1. At the Academy, we'd always wear our uniforms when we showed up for games. We march in together, we're sophisticated and we're all one unit. So I wanted to do that for Week 1."

Robinson also explained that he carried all his bags in his left hand. It is a military custom, as service members must always be prepared (read: have their arm free) to salute their higher-ranking superiors whenever they cross paths.

To his credit, the seventh-round rookie isn't pressed about not playing in Week 1, instead embracing the chance to learn from excellent defensive tackles like Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen.

It really does feel like Robinson will get a crack to show what he can do on Sunday. B.J. Hill is questionable with an Achilles injury, which theoretically opens up a spot in the rotation if the Bengals play it safe and rule out the veteran. If not, Robinson will still stay winning with his pregame attire at the very least.

Part of the reason I've been so bullish on Robinson and tried to manifest his arrival in Cincinnati since January is because he attended the Naval Academy. The man was a first-team All-American at a program where he had plenty of other non-football requirements that players at blue-blood schools simply don't have to worry about. Not like Robinson had some flashy NIL deal, either.

Even though 2024 second-round pick Kris Jenkins Jr. had a sack in the Bucs game, I still believe without a shred of doubt that Robinson is a better player, and will only widen the gap as time goes on. Robinson can play nose tackle; Jenkins can't. And there's no question who the better athlete is, and therefore, who has more pass rushing upside.

Let's see what happens in Week 2.

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