It’s Mr. Robinson to you, Coach

KIRKLAND – Jeff Robinson made a unique first impression on Mike Holmgren.

“I thought we hired a new coach,” Holmgren joked about seeing the Seattle Seahawks’ new long snapper in a team meeting.

Actually, at 37, Robinson is five years older than linebackers coach Zerick Rollins.

But he’s spent 13 of those years snapping the football in the National Football League. For a time in that span, he was considered one of the best.

And even though he’s been out of the game since the 2005 season, Robinson still had enough accuracy and velocity at his Tuesday audition to put an end to the brief Boone Stutz Era, an eight-game period that put the palpitation back in the placekick snap.

Robinson is the third snapper the Hawks have employed this season. Derek Rackley was erratic on punt snaps and Stutz was shaky on the short snaps. The hope is that Robinson can be consistent enough to get the Hawks through the season with no more misadventures in that department.

“Jeff was my snapper in Dallas a couple years,” Seattle special teams coach Bruce DeHaven said. “At one time, I thought he was the best snapper in the league. That’s been a couple years ago. He’s 37 now, and he might not be what he once was, but he’s still a pretty good snapper.”

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Robinson was among the more athletic snappers, having had the talent to play on the defensive line and at tight end in the NFL.

A graduate of Ferris High, Robinson played defensive end so well at the University of Idaho he was twice named Big Sky Conference player of the year.

The foresighted Robinson started working on his snapping his senior year in Moscow, recognizing it as a good option for a somewhat undersized defensive lineman.

The Broncos drafted him in the fourth round. How long ago? Two local media observers of Wednesday’s practice – Hugh Millen and Dave Wyman – were teammates of his in Denver.

Later, with St. Louis, he played in a pair of Super Bowls. After his 2005 retirement, he moved to Seattle and most recently has been “Mr. Mom-ing it” as his wife starts a new enterprise he describes as “a preventative health and wellness” business on South Lake Union.

Robinson said he had worked out enough to stay in shape, but had no reason to continue to practice his snapping. After all, he was retired from the game.

Until DeHaven called him.

“He asked if I wanted to come in (and try out); he was curious,” Robinson said.

It’s not like it cost Robinson much to give it a try; he only had to drive over from his Queen Anne Hill home.

“It’s such a great situation for me personally to be able to come in and play for the hometown team, and hopefully do a job for them they need done,” he said.

At practice Wednesday, a couple of Robinson’s early short snaps had a little flutter to them, but all were well-placed, and he appeared to find the range as it went on.

He seemed a bit entertained that such a large group of reporters would be so interested in his comments after the Wednesday practice. Frankly, he’s already an upgrade on both Rackley and Stutz in the quote department.

Is he considering snapping beyond this season? “I’m just trying to make it to Sunday.”

What do his kids think about his return to the game? “My 8-month-old doesn’t really have much of an opinion.”

Are you eager to cover punts? “Yeah, I’m looking forward to running down there and trying to tackle a 22-year-old.”

If there’s been a hallmark to Robinson’s career, it’s been high effort. He can easily pinpoint the root source of that attitude.

Robinson’s late father, Al, was a noted high school referee in eastern Washington. He was a large, colorful character whose influence still affects his son.

“We were taught at a young age to compete,” Robinson said. “And you might not be as talented as the next guy but you can always give it your best and outwork them. I think that competitiveness is something I’m very fortunate to be blessed with from him.”

Robinson is hardly a kid, it’s not likely that he’s at the top of his game after his layoff, and he’s being tossed into a high-pressure position with no latitude for mistakes.

But he’s been there before and he’s done it well.

And he certainly should be well-rested.