Falcons’ Bijan Robinson takes center stage on ‘National Running Backs Day’

FLOWERY BRANCH — There’s no specific date, nor week, and there likely never will be. But the second iteration of NBC’s self-proclaimed made-up holiday of “National Running Backs Day” will be celebrated in full force, robes and all, Sunday night in Atlanta.

NBC handpicked the matchup between the Falcons (2-2) and Baltimore Ravens (1-3), a primetime bout pitting Bijan Robinson against Derrick Henry in a battle of two of the NFL’s premier ball-carriers.

“This year, it worked out perfectly,” NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Robinson, perhaps the league’s best running back, is no stranger to the spotlight on his position’s special day. The Falcons played on “National Running Backs Day” last year in the inaugural edition, falling to the San Francisco 49ers.

NBC deemed Robinson and 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey a worthy duel. They train together in the offseason and have become close friends. “It was a perfect place to start,” Stark said, “and we had so much fun with it.” So, the tradition continued.

Inspired by “National Tight Ends Day,” started by 49ers tight end George Kittle, NBC opted to keep its self-made holiday rolling. The presentation will look much the same as last year, with the winning team getting three robes — ordered online and slightly nicer this time around — instead of the standard game balls NBC often gives out on “Sunday Night Football.”

Last year, McCaffrey joined offensive tackle Trent Williams and linebacker Tatum Bethune in wearing the robes after the game.

“We were kind of making fun of ourselves because they were just cheap robes and chains,” Stark said. “But we just had fun with it. So, we thought, ‘OK, this is great. Why not have one?’”

Sunday night marks the first time Robinson and Henry will play against each other.

Robinson, 24, was an eighth grader when Henry, 32, won the Heisman Trophy in 2015 at Alabama, and he’s watched the entirety of Henry’s stellar NFL career. Robinson’s knowledge of Henry’s past dates back to high school, when the latter set the national rushing record with 12,124 career yards.

“My respect for him is out of this world,” Robinson said.
“Like, the things that he’s able to do still to this point is a blessing. I’m really excited to get to watch him play in person, because he’s one of the role models who I look up to, and even just me and him talking to this day, it’s nothing but respect for each other.

“So, to be able to play against him, it will be pretty cool.”

Henry, meanwhile, marveled at Robinson’s ability to make defenders miss, get vertical and gain positive yards on plays where most can’t.

“He’s the best in the game right now,” Henry said. “He’s doing it all. I ain’t going to shy away from it.”

Robinson ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards (494) and scrimmage yards (537), behind Kansas City Chiefs star Kenneth Walker III in both. His complement, Brian Robinson Jr., is fresh off a three-touchdown performance against the New Orleans Saints, and the duo has made its case as the NFL’s best.

Henry leads the league with 89 carries, and he’s tied with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen with seven rushing touchdowns.

Both members of the NFL’s highest echelon of running back tiers, Robinson and Henry win in different ways. The former is more elusive, the latter more powerful — a natural byproduct of Henry being 37 pounds heavier and eight years older.

But they also carry different personalities, too.

“Derrick’s just more serious, I would say,” Stark said. “Not that Derrick doesn’t smile, because he definitely smiles and you can get him to smile and stuff, but Bijan (is) super chatty and always has a big smile on his face. I mean, he’s got that whole acting background side to him.”