Former Atlanta Falcons player Dunta Robinson and a host of friends from his playing days are gearing up for some intense competition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week. Fellow Falcons emeritus Alge Crumpler, Roddy White and Brian Finneran, UGA turned Kansas City Chiefs player Justin Houston and many others are expected at the matchup.
Instead of football, though, the guys will be playing cornhole. The charity toss-off is planned for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Falcons' new home, and will benefit Robinson's foundation. Its mission promoting entrepreneurship among young people, "teaching kids about product development, branding, all those sorts of things," Robinson explained. "We want to encourage creativity and promote confidence."
The event is open to the public and tickets are $150. Click here for details and registration.
Growing up in Athens, his dad and football heroes such as Deion Sanders inspired him to succeed at whatever he tried - not just athletics. Not everyone had motivating role models, he said.
"In my community, there weren’t a lot of successful people coming in to talk to the kids about what was possible," Robinson said. "I always said, if I ever make it big I’ll be sure to come back. I understand how impactful it can be. When I go home and talk to the kids, I see their eyes light up."
He worked with educators from Atlanta and his native Athens to create programming for his foundation, and embodies its ideals as he embarks on the next chapter of his career.
"I’m studying real estate right now," he said.
He looks forward to Thursday's action, and joked that some of the competitors are likely to view a friendly game of cornhole with game-day intensity. The setting will be a bit different, he noted.
"When you’re in a stadium with 70,000 fans you don’t always hear some of the colorful language. Now that we’re going to have a tight space, I may have to remind the guys it’s for fun," he joked.
