Dunta Robinson Q&A

The 2004 rookie class reported to Reliant Stadium May 6-8 for its first mini-camp so we figured this would be a good time to sneak in a Texans Q&A with first-round pick Dunta Robinson.

Robinson, selected 10th overall by the Texans, is expected to compete right away for the starting right cornerback slot. After starting two seasons at South Carolina, Robinson became the highest-drafted Gamecocks player since wide receiver Sterling Sharpe went seventh in 1988.

Robinson answers your questions during his first weekend in Houston.

Dunta,
What are your goals during your rookie season?
-James Ripkey (Newport Beach, CA)

James,
"My goal is to get better each practice and eventually become a starter on this team and help my team win."

Dunta,
What do you like most about the city of Houston so far?
-Justin Hollenberg

Justin,
"I haven't had a chance to really get out an experience anything yet, but I do like the size. It's such a big city, there are a lot of things to do and the people are very nice so I like the city overall."

Dunta,
We're all impressed with your speed and agility, but it seems as if your attitude and integrity contributed greatly to you sky-rocketing up in the Draft. To whom do you attribute these great qualities?
-Dick Williams

Dick,
"To my mom and dad. Even when they were down, they always fought hard to come back up. Coming into the beginning of my senior season, I wasn't ranked that high. I was probably a second-round corner and I knew that I wanted to go to the top so I just kept working. Eventually, I ended up at the top."
*
Dunta,
How did it feel coming from off the radar to climbing to a top-ten draft pick?
-Thereason71051

*"It felt great. You silence all of the critics. For me to rise as much as I did, I believed in myself and I believed in my ability and I knew that was where I belonged, at the top."

Dunta,
Who were some of the players that you watched and idolized growing up? Do you think you have any similar traits?
-Rick Rothinsky (Baton Rouge, LA)

Rick,
"Deion Sanders, Champ Bailey, Rod Woodson, Aaron Glenn, all of the great corners. I think I'm more like Aaron Glenn as far as size and speed. We both returned punts in college so that would be the player that I would most consider as a model."

Dunta,
Which NFL receiver are you looking forward to defending the most?
-Grant Rothberg (Houston)

Grant,
"Marvin Harrison. He's probably the best receiver in our conference and one of the top in the game so I'm just ready to see what I look like against a great receiver like him."

Dunta,
How was it playing for a great coach like Lou Holtz and how did he help you prepare for the NFL?
-Shawn Smith (DeWitt, MI)
*
*Shawn,
"With Coach Holtz, everything has to be done perfectly and it's the same way out here, everything has to be perfect. Any mistake you make can light up the scoreboard in my position so it was good playing for Coach Holtz. He did a lot of great things for me and I did good things for the team."

*Dunta,
Welcome to the state of Texas and Houston! Growing up in Athens, Ga., did you follow the Atlanta Falcons and was Deion Sanders one of your role models?
-Amber Goodrich *

Amber,
"I did follow the Falcons. I watched the Falcons with Deion when they were still wearing the Silver and Red. I was a big Falcons fan."

*Dunta,
Who do you consider the best cornerback in football?
-RD Britz
* *
*"That's a tough one. I'm going to go with Aaron Glenn because he's my teammate."

Dunta,
What will be the hardest transition from the college game to the professional game? -Joseph Parrish

Joseph,
"Being perfect. Everything that you do has to be perfect. A lot of things are in-depth. There's a lot of studying and a lot of things involved. In college you could've just gone on athletic ability."
*
Dunta,
Did you watch any Texans' games last season? If so, what did you think?
-Emilio Garcia (Lubbock, TX)

*Emilio,
"I didn't watch many games because we didn't have many televised in South Carolina. The few games that I did see, I noticed that they were a very young team with a lot of athletic ability. I thought once they put it all together and once the guys got more experience they would be a good team in the future."

Dunta,
How has playing safety and being a kick returner enhanced your game at corner?
-Evan Tracy (Houston, TX)

Evan,
"Playing safety helped me get more physical. I'm a physical corner. I'm only 185 pounds but I like to come up and make big hits so that's part of my game. As far as returning, that's added another dimension to my game."

Dunta,
What dance to you plan on doing when you intercept Steve McNair or Peyton Manning and take it all the way?
-Richard Garcia

Richard,
"I've got to think of something. I'll have to get creative but I haven't thought of one yet."