In a crowded competition for the starting tight end job ... Has been a part-time starter throughout his career ... Combines good pass-catching skills with the toughness needed to play tight end ... Has played in 33 games, including seven starts.
2012 (Junior): Played in 11 games, including three starts ... Had nine receptions for 97 yards ... Best game of the season came at Tennessee, near his hometown, when he caught three passes for 46 yards ... Had a touchdown catch at Louisville ... Career-long catch of 20 yards vs. WKU.
2011 (Sophomore): Played in 11 games and started once ... Caught eight passes for 44 yards and one touchdown ... Top game was three catches for 19 yards vs. Florida ... Caught a touchdown pass at Georgia.
2010 (Freshman): Played in 11 games with three starts ... Had a career game in his home state of Tennessee, recording season highs with four catches for 25 yards and his first career touchdown reception ... Totaled 11 catches for 80 yards and one TD for the season.
High School: "Mr. Football" lineman in the state of Tennessee as a junior ... First-team all-state tight end/defensive end as a sophomore, junior and senior ... Three-year starter for perennial power Alcoa High School, which won six consecutive state championships in Class AAA ... Has exceptional hands ... Caught 32 passes for 536 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior ... Snagged 26 balls for 477 yards and seven TDs as a sophomore ... "Tyler catches everything in sight and impresses you with his surprising speed," wrote recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of MaxPreps.com ... Also a defensive standout with 89 tackles, 21 for loss, as a junior ... Was the regional player of the year as a junior ... Had 66 tackles, 16 for loss as a sophomore ... Defensive most valuable player of the state championship game his sophomore year ... One of the nation's top-25 tight ends as assessed by ESPN.com ... The No. 13 prospect in Tennessee by SuperPrep ... Coached by Gary Rankin ... "Tyler is a big, tough kid who is also a good athlete," Rankin said. "He has the best hands I've had on my team in 30 years of coaching." ... Played in the Tennessee East-West All-Star Game following his senior season ... Also played basketball and baseball (catcher, outfielder) in high school.
Personal: Born in Knoxville, Tenn. ... Son of Tony and Debbie Robinson ... Major is kinesiology and health promotion. Community Cats: Worked with the Christian Appalachian Project for Pike County (2010) and the Big Blue U Move-In (2011).
Tyler Says ... When I played football as a kid, I pretended I was: my dad ... Other than the NFL, my dream job is: to be a successful actor ... If I could talk to anyone on Skype, it would be: William Wallace ... The coolest thing about being at UK is: the college experience ... Something people might not know about me is: when I was 11 I won a national championship in baseball ... My hidden talent is: I am a really good photographer.
