By Kierstin Lindkvist
Medill Reports
PHOENIX — UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had one thing on his mind during Super Bowl weekend.
“I’m training for the NFL Combine coming up here at the end of the month,” he said. “Right now, just getting as much feedback as I can from (sports agent Leigh Steinberg), trying to ask him all the questions so I don’t go into any situation not knowing something.”
Thompson-Robinson was steady throughout the 2022 season ending the year with a quarterback rating of 82.1. He threw for 3,154 yards, rushed for 646 and scored 39 touchdowns throughout the season – demonstrating consistent mobility in games against Arizona State, Utah and Washington.
As he has been training for the NFL Combine, which takes place Feb. 28 to March 6, Thompson-Robinson has been releasing YouTube videos showing the workouts and skills he’s been working on to get ready to compete for a spot in the league. After an apparent back injury in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl at the end of December, he’s been doing rehabilitation to rebuild strength in his right shoulder.
“Working on getting this back shoulder blade down and out, correcting my mechanics, so my shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said in a recent YouTube video. “Everybody’s been thinking it’s pushing out the elbows: No, you got to bring that shoulder blade back, and when (you do that) the hips come with it.”
Thompson-Robinson and Steinberg started working together after Thompson-Robinson was signed earlier this year. The latest signee said just having Steinberg as his agent, who also represents other NFL starting quarterbacks such as the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, will help put him on the path to success in the league.
“I’m glad they put full trust and everything into me and my game,” Thompson-Robinson said. “The proof is in the pudding with the guys that he’s repping (such as) Pat Mahomes, Tua, all them. I’m just trying to follow in their footsteps and make it happen my way. Leigh’s a great guy.”
Thompson-Robinson said Steinberg and his team are “making it easy” for him to coordinate and get an insight into what teams are looking for and where his skills serve them best. The one team he has his eyes on most: his hometown team.
“I’m a Vegas boy, so I would love the Raiders, but I would just be happy to get the opportunity (in the NFL),” he said.
He is projected to be a Day 3 pick, according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid.
Kierstin Lindkvist is a Medill graduate student in the sports media specialization. Follow her on Twitter @KLindkvistNews or Instagram @kelindkvist, and connect with her on LinkedIn.
