When David Robinson stepped foot on the campus of Maine Maritime Academy in 1988, he was a kid with a dream of playing collegiate football and building a career that would carry him through life. By the time he left, he was the most prolific passer in program history and, at the time of his induction, owned nearly every passing record. Robinson was also a 1991 Associated Press All-New England selection and a 1991 New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star.

Now, Robinson is being honored as part of the William J. Mottola Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

“It is an honor that I never expected,” Robinson said. “It definitely makes you feel good about yourself and your teammates. Football is a game that you really can’t be successful at without your teammates, so I am really thankful to them because I could not have been so successful without them.”

A native of Saco, Maine, Robinson arrived at MMA from Thornton Academy, joining high school teammate John Guss — a member of the William J. Mottola Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 — and immediately made an impact.

From 1988-91, Robinson redefined what it meant to be a quarterback in the blue and gold, putting up numbers that, to this day, have not been approached.

In his four years under center for the Mariners, Robinson threw for a program-best 6,157 passing yards — 3,806 more than the second-place passer — a mark that still stands more than 35 years after his final game on Ritchie Field.

“I am proud of my football career at MMA and how fortunate I was to have the coaches and teammates that I had,” Robinson said. “I am very surprised my records have lasted this long. The game is much different today than it was over 30 years ago. Today’s college game has a lot more focus on the passing game, so there are more opportunities to surpass my college passing numbers. I do hope with football coming back at MMA the team is successful and records get broken. That is what future players should strive for — winning and breaking records.”

In addition to holding the all-time career passing yards mark, Robinson is also the program’s career leader in passing attempts (978), completions (507), passing touchdowns (54) and passing yards per game (175.9).

As Robinson reflects on his induction, he is quick to share the credit. He points to his parents, teammates and coaches for supporting him and putting him in the right situations to succeed.

“Looking back, I was very fortunate to have a great offensive line, great receivers and an outstanding running back who made defenses prepare for the run game, which gave me opportunities to succeed,” Robinson said. “The coaching staff was the biggest factor in my development. Coach Huard had the ability to make you mentally tough and believe you could overcome anything. I also had great quarterback coaches who helped me improve my skills each season. I was always focused on winning as a team and really wanting to win the NEFC and never really thought about the Hall of Fame.”

At the time of his induction, Robinson held three of the top four single-season passing attempt totals, the top three completion seasons, three of the top four passing yardage seasons and three of the top three touchdown-passing seasons in program history. He also completed the longest pass in program history — a 94-yard touchdown against Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1989.

“One of my greatest memories was beating Plymouth State at home,” Robinson said. “They were considered the best program in the New England Football Conference and had one of the largest rosters. They filled the entire sideline with players. In fact, they had so many players that they had every number from 1 to 99 on their jerseys.”

Robinson’s story does not end with football. After earning a Bachelor of Science in power engineering operations in 1992, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked as an application and sales engineer for industrial equipment used in paper mills and chemical plants. He later returned to Maine and worked in the mechanical engineering department at Portsmouth.

Today, Robinson is the chief engineer at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and looks back on his time at MMA as preparation for life beyond the football field.

“Without a doubt, MMA makes you mentally strong, disciplined and willing to work hard,” Robinson said. “It also creates bonds with your classmates that last forever.”