Eddie Robinson Jr. is in his first year as head coach of the Alabama State University Hornets football team, but he’s no stranger to the Magic City Classic. An accomplished former NFL linebacker, Robinson played four years in the game that has been recognized as one of the largest Black college football games.

Robinson played and lettered for ASU all four years, earned All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors and was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. He credits much of his success to his college coach, Houston Markham. “He taught us so much and he had so many colorful sayings that weren’t always just about football but also about life,” Robinson said. “One of them was ‘Do what’s right because it’s right.’”

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Alabama State’s Eddie Robinson Jr. talks Magic City Classic, coaching philosophy and Deion Sanders from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

One of Robinson’s fondest memories as a player in the Classic took place in 1991. That season, ASU went into the Magic City Classic game undefeated. Robinson remembers standing on the sideline watching the last few minutes of the fourth quarter with the Hornets leading by more than 40 points.

“That was a Classic to remember,” he said. “Not only because of the score, but we had a strong possibility to go the entire season undefeated. … We could win it all.” The Hornets went on to an 11-0-1 season that year, winning the Black College National Championship by defeating North Carolina A&T University.

The Hornets are going into this weekend’s game against the Alabama A&M University Bulldogs with a 4-3 overall record. The last loss the team suffered was its Oct. 8 homecoming game against Jackson State University, which has become a new rival for the Hornets. The game ended without Robinson and Jackson State coach Deion Sanders having a not-so-cordial end-of-game greeting. “We have not had a conversation,” Robinson said. “He’s trying to win and I’m trying to win. I’m sure at some time we will sit down and have a conversation.”

The focus now, however, is the big game Saturday at Legion Field at 2:30 p.m. “The Magic City Classic will always be one of my favorite games,” Robinson said. “I can’t drive into Birmingham or through Birmingham without thinking about Legion Field and all the history and memories I have for that place.”

He said he couldn’t enjoy the festivities surrounding the Classic much as a player, but he enjoyed coming to Birmingham as a fan and alumnus after his playing days in the NFL. “I could come back to Birmingham and enjoy seeing some good football, eating some good food and visiting some good friends.”