As the NFL Draft 2024 unfolds, the air is electric with anticipation. Amidst the buzz, the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock, and they’ve laid their bet on Darius Robinson, a defensive end whose name has been whispered in war rooms across the National Football League.

In the gritty football world, where dreams are forged on sunbaked fields and thunderous Friday night lights, a mother’s love often stands as the quiet force propelling giants. Meet Valori Robinson – the steadfast matriarch whose unwavering devotion has steered her son Darius on an against-all-odds journey from the hard-nosed streets of Southfield to the precipice of NFL stardom.

Darius Robinson forged an ironclad bond with his mother’s teachings

Long before Darius Robinson was shattering combine records and headlining draft boards, his athletic prowess took root in the steadfast encouragement of his mom. “Because of the age difference, it’s still like we both grew up as only kids,” recalls Darius’ older brother Reginald, 23 years his senior to the Missourian, “Definitely a unique experience…sometimes feeling like I’m playing the dad role when I’m just trying to be a knowledgeable big brother.”

It was Valori who allowed her sons to seek their paths while providing a powerful moral foundation. As Reginald puts it, “There’s some things that she’s going to make sure we know and do and then some other things, you know, that she’s gonna leave up to us.” For Darius, that spiritual bedrock materialized in his baptism at Second Missionary Baptist Church – a pivotal moment as Valori Robinson declares “That’s what he needed…When he made that step, you know, to get baptized, his relationship with knowing God was fulfilled.”

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Yet Valori’s impact extended far beyond matters of faith. Whether it was switching from hoops to hitting the gridiron or harnessing his raw power into an NFL-ready frame, she remained Darius’ fearless cornerwoman. “At the beginning, you know, you really miss them…but now I am at a comfortable point,” she shares, “I see all the maturity, all the growth, and I just feel at ease.”

Countless scouts and analysts fuel the NFL draft hype train, but Darius’ locomotive has barreled forth courtesy of a singular driving force – Valori. Yet the woman of quiet strength would merely deem it “absolutely awesome” to shepherd her baby from Southfield to the national stage.

Robinson’s vision for the NFL was pushed by his brother

For Darius Robinson, the road from Southfield hardwood to the NFL Draft stage was paved by the indispensable guidance of his older brother Reginald, and their resilient mother Valori. With his father’s role largely unclear, Reginald who was 23 years older than Darius stepped up.

When Darius strayed from basketball dreams towards gridiron glory, Reginald’s steady hand kept him centered. As Darius puts it, “Being at college, being on his own, Darius has surpassed our expectations of the type of man he would be in these five years.”

So while No. 27 overall pick Darius, the unshakable code imparted by Valori and Reginald’s real-life examples have Steady-Eddie’d him towards Canton’s hallowed halls.