The Packer Pundit

Robinson enters plea on Minnesota chase charges
The Associated Press
ST. PETER, Minn. — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson entered a plea on Monday on a felony charge of fleeing police in connection with a 12-mile, high-speed chase in August. In exchange for the Alford plea, authorities dismissed seven lesser charges related to drunken driving, reckless driving and driving without a license, The Mankato (Minn.) Free Press reported today. Robinson, 26, also agreed not to fight the forfeiture of the BMW 760 sedan he used on Aug. 15, when he led police from St. Peter to Mankato — sometimes exceeding 120 mph, according to police. Robinson, who was with the Minnesota Vikings at the time, said he didn’t know he was being chased until the pursuit ended. “I was coming back from Minneapolis, trying to get to training camp,” Robinson said. “It was a bad decision on my part. I was trying to get back to camp grounds to avoid the fine I was going to get for being late.” An Alford plea allows someone to acknowledge that evidence in a case could result in a jury reaching a guilty verdict, but it doesn’t require a person to admit guilt. The charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Robinson’s attorney, Joe Tamburino, said he would argue for a lesser sentence. Tamburino also asked that a sentencing hearing be held before Feb. 28, because that’s when Robinson is scheduled to begin a 90-day jail sentence in Green Bay. That jail term was ordered because the high-speed chase in Mankato violated conditions of Robinson’s probation from a separate drunken-driving case in Kirkland, Wash., last year. After he signed with the Packers, Robinson was suspended for a year by the NFL for violating its substance-abuse policy. He isn't eligible to be reinstated until Sept. 18.




Staff Spending Key Week At Senior Bowl
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 01/23/2007

2007 Senior Bowl Info:
Date: January 27, 2007
Kickoff: 3 p.m. CT
Stadium: Ladd-Peebles Stadium (40,646)
Television: NFL Network Coverage (Jan. 22-27)
Web site: www.seniorbowl.com

Preparation for the 2007 NFL Draft makes a significant shift into high gear for the Green Bay Packers' scouting staff this week. A team of 13 members of the organization, including all of the Packers' college and pro scouts, have descended on Mobile, Ala., for Senior Bowl week to watch the top senior talent go head-to-head in practices and in the annual game, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. CT. "It's a big week for a lot of seniors," said pro personnel assistant Tim Terry, a former NFL linebacker. "I remember when I was coming out of college, that's the biggest college all-star game. All the pro scouts will be there, and guys have a forum to really showcase their talents. "You see how guys handle that spotlight. Some guys can handle it and do well, some guys can cave in under pressure." The Packers take a very systematic approach to their evaluation process. Each scout in Mobile is assigned to a specific position group, and he watches both the North and South teams practice each day, Monday through Thursday, taking copious notes. At the end of each day, the group meets to discuss all the players and what they observed. Evaluations then continue upon returning to Green Bay at the end of the week, watching film of the practices and the games and taking more notes to compare with those from watching live. Ultimately, each scout or personnel staff member is responsible for writing reports on every player in his assigned position group, and that information is used to supplement what will be gathered in late February at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Combine generally attracts more media attention, but Senior Bowl week is equally important because the players are being coached by NFL staffs. The 49ers and Buccaneers are running the practices this year. "I think it's valuable because they're doing more football stuff this week," pro personnel assistant Eliot Wolf said. "Watching practice you can see how they compete, how they react." -- More



1966 Packers Ranked No. 6
On 'America's Game' Countdown
Show airs: Tuesday, Jan. 30
7:30 p.m. CT
Exclusively on NFL Network

America's Game is the show football fans have been waiting for: 40 one-hour documentaries produced by NFL Films. 'America's Game' is not a Super Bowl recap, but a 40-part special that unveils team stories that have never before been seen or heard. The top 20 air in order from No. 20 to No. 1, with the No. 1 ranked Super Bowl being revealed the week of Super Bowl XLI. Now, America's Game turns its attention to the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl I victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. How did the "Lombardi mystique" help center Bill Curry during a flight cancellation prior to training camp? How did defensive lineman Willie Davis' leadership change Curry's life? Why was quarterback Bart Starr the only player that could stand up to coach Vince Lombardi? Those questions and more will be answered on America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions airing Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT exclusively on NFL Network. The story of the 1966 Packers - ranked 6th among all Super Bowl winners by a 53-member blue ribbon panel of NFL experts - is told through the eyes of Starr, Davis and Curry, who provide an intimate portrait of how these players became Super Bowl champions. The show is narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Donald Sutherland. From dynasties to one-shot wonders, from the undefeated to the unexpected, America's Game tells the stories behind the story of all 40 Super Bowl champions. Each episode is a 60-minute documentary (available in high definition) featuring key members of the winning team telling behind-the-scenes accounts from their championship season. With classic NFL Films action combined with news clips and photos, highlights from team radio broadcasts, footage from inside team meeting rooms, sideline audio and other exclusive features, America's Game will provide an epic and intimate portrait of 40 distinct championship teams, in one groundbreaking series. -- More




In a snap, Davis would like to return
Veteran enjoyed strong season
By ROB REISCHEL / Special to Packer Plus
Posted: Jan. 16, 2007
Rob Davis never thought he'd be long-snapping at 38-years young. He thought he'd have put his degree in criminal justice/law enforcement to work by now. Or maybe he'd have begun work in real estate, another area where he's licensed. Never did Davis - a staple of the Green Bay Packers' special teams the past 10 seasons - think he'd still be making his living as a long-snapper. So whatever happens this off-season - when Davis becomes an unrestricted free agent - he can live with it. "Like I've said many, many times, if it ends today, I played a lot longer than anybody thought I would," said Davis, who was a defensive tackle at Division II Shippensburg (Pa.) University. "I've got nothing but great memories about my experience in the NFL and especially my experience here in Green Bay." On the flip side, don't confuse Davis' gratefulness for apathy regarding his future. Davis believes he's got a lot of life left in his game and thinks he can still be playing when he's 40. "I'd like to be back, but that's going to be their decision," Davis said of the Packers. "I know at some point, being 38-years old, they're going to go in a different direction and I'm totally prepared for that. But I still think I can snap and snap at a high level and if it's not here, hopefully somebody else will give me the opportunity." -- More