Ask anyone in the San Francisco 49ers locker room about linebacker and core special teamer Curtis Robinson, and the resounding theme is a quiet, but caring, person, who makes people feel special.
“It’s a little bit harder for me to be at the forefront of things just because naturally, I do like to kind of be in the background a little bit,” Robinson told Fangirl Sports Network. “But it is cool, because I can be myself. There’s no pressure to be the big tough football player, it’s just you get to be yourself with the kids and people within the community.”
Attend a 49ers’ community event, and Robinson is a constant fixture, giving his free time to help those in need in the Bay Area community.
“[Robinson] makes everybody that he interacts with feel very welcomed and loved, and I think that’s a very special talent,” said 49ers tight end, George Kittle. “Not everybody can do that…He does such a good job about communicating with people that he’s talking to. He’s talking to a family, talking to the mom, dad, their kids, getting to know them.
“I think he just does such an excellent job about that. And also, he just makes himself available all the time. He’s also our NFL PA rep, so he does that stuff, but he’s always available to all the guys in the locker room, families, anybody that he’s talking to, he makes them feel very welcome.”
With that in mind, it is no surprise the Robinson is the 49ers’ nominee for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (WPMOY), given every year to a NFL player for the work they do both on and off the field.
“It sounds like he acts away from here how he does with us,” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan of Robinson. “…Curtis is one of the best guys on our team. Every single person on the team loves him, every person in this building. Not just how he carries himself and treats people, but how consistent he is and how he works. He’s a very special person.”
Robinson, who signed with the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Stanford in 2021, spent time on both the practice squad and the active roster during his 49ers’ tenure. After a strong training camp, he made the team’s 2024 53-man roster but tore his ACL during a September practice, ending his season. He did not, however, let the injury end his community work.
“This was a big part of my role in the organization before I got hurt, so for me, I missed probably three weeks for the surgery when I was in L.A., but I was constantly talking to [Senior Manager of Community Relations, Saya Lindsay, and Senior Manager of Community Relations, Michelle Beck] trying to get back, because it’s always been important to me. This year, I really wanted to lean into it, because I knew I would have more time away the field.”
For fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the work and the nomination are not a surprise.
“Curtis is one of them guys that, he’s kind of quiet, so you don’t really hear too much about him,” Greenlaw told FGSN. “But…we know how much he also puts in on his own on Tuesdays, off days. So you could just tell his care for people is there. And he’s one of them guys, he’s easy to talk to. He’s one of the guys you always wants to talk to. Even though he is quiet, once he get comfortable, he’s talking.”
Robinson was at an event a Bay Area children’s hospital just days after his injury.
“People made a big deal about me going to the hospital afterwards and I was on crutches, but those kids are dealing with life-threatening things, and it’s just, when you put it into that perspective, it doesn’t seem too hard to show up, in my opinion,” Robinson said. “I injured my leg and they’re fighting for their life, I think it’s possible for me to show up and be there for them.”
So, yes, he was not missing much time.
“It’s crazy,” said 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is also a fixture at community events. “I think a lot of people, if they go through an injury or anything, they’re so dialed into the rehab and stuff, which is great, but for him still making it a priority to give back to the community…just shows you his heart. So, it’s pretty cool.”
Quiet as he may be naturally, Robinson tends to shine at these events.
“That just goes to show you how much he cares, how much he wants to be there no matter what he’s going through,” said 49ers CB Charvarius Ward. “I’m not surprised at all that he’s a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. Congrats to him and hopefully he wins it.”
Though it’s something that was instilled in him by his parents, Robinson was also positively influenced by former 49ers LB Azeez Al-Shaair and former 49ers DL Arik Armstead, who was the 49ers nominee three years in a row and who is now the nominee of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“My parents…they instilled in me just service and whether it’s community service or service within your family, within your friend group, it’s just important to be that type of person. And then, the guys that I’ve played with here, they took it so seriously. Azeez was the one who introduced me to these events in my rookie year. Aric obviously put on the example that he did.”
It was a trip to speak to inmates at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in 2022 that cemented Robinson’s commitment to better the Bay Area community.
“I would say it was honestly…when I visited San Quentin for the first time, that kind of shaped and changed how I looked at just service in general and my role here,” Robinson said. “When I went there, seeing how inspired they all were to better themselves and better their situation, whether it be in San Quentin or when they get out of San Quentin, it made me feel like I wasn’t doing enough just in my personal life and just with the people around me. So it kind of just inspired me to more.”
Just as an example was set for Robinson by former teammates, the WPMOY nominee is doing the same, but it’s not a role that came to him right away.
“It’s funny because I’ve noticed that I’ve had that sort of role this year, and I’ve always felt the opposite,” said Robinson. “I’ve always felt like I’ve been a guy that’s trying to catch up to the norm of the team…A bunch of guys and the guys who were usually the most busy were the ones who were doing the most in the community. So I always felt like there was more for me to do…[a]nd I’m still working get there, but I have noticed a shift this year.”
It may feel newer to Robinson, but it’s something his teammates have gravitated to immediately.
“First day I got here, he was one of those guys that made sure to come up and introduce himself,” 49ers kicker Jake Moody said. “He likes to talk to anybody and everybody, make everybody feel special, and I think that’s why he does so well at all the events. Just being his true self and being the nice guy that he is, no matter who it is, what event, he’s always the same every single day, and that’s why I think he’s a good nominee for the award.”
Robinson has also been described as a “light” as community events, something that is not lost on his fellow teammates and contributors.
“I think he opens up in those settings and I think that he’s comfortable in those settings,” OL Aaron Banks said. “So I think that’s where you see the light shine…So whatever people come to these events and get to spend time with them, they leave with a positive impression.”
During the week of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, all the nominees will be recognized, with the winner being announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 6, 2025. Each nominee receives up to $55,000, while the award winner receives up to a $265,000 donation, to the charity of their choice.
“He’s at every event,” Purdy said. “He’s got a passion, like a legit passion, and heart for people in our community.”