For any sport, comebacks are very rare. Once an athlete leaves a program for any reason, it’s hard for them to be accepted back.

For UW-Whitewater senior football player Cory Robinson, it was worth the risk.

Robinson, who played wide receiver for the Warhawks in his first three years, decided to leave the team after his junior season.

“I guess it was because of the changes in the coaching staff,” Robinson said. “We didn’t see eye-to-eye and I wasn’t very open to change.”

Robinson didn’t play much in his first season, but was a factor in his sophomore and junior year. After leaving, he realized that he made the wrong decision because of the lifestyle change.

“I realized how much time football actually makes up, compared to not being in a sport, it’s a lot different,” Robinson said. “I guess a big thing was the competitiveness and being around the team.”

Realizing he made the wrong decision to leave, he approached some of the coaches’ right after the season was over. Robinson said he knew the coaches wouldn’t gladly welcome him back to the team, but was happy with he got an opportunity to try out again.

“I would say that they were hesitant at first,” Robinson said. “They told me that he never had anyone come back and be successful. But he basically said we’ll go through the off-season and we’ll make a decision.”

It looks as if Head Coach Lance Leipold’s decision has paid off. Robinson has 12 catches for 177 yards this season with one touchdown.

Robinson said his decision to come back has been the right one because he simply missed the game, his teammates and coaches.

“I definitely did [make the right decision],” Robinson said. “The team is great and hopefully we can continue our success.”