Rising From The Dirt: Amik Robertson Was Born A Detroit Lion
Watching once-overlooked players grow into indispensable leaders is the kind of arc usually reserved for movies.
Few stories encapsulate the grit, opportunity, and leadership like Amik Robertson’s journey has. His journey to the NFL was never about the easy path. Persistent doubts about his size and suitability to even play the game haunted him. When life’s obstacles presented themselves, Robertson refused to let anyone or anything dictate his future—albeit in football or providing for his family. He credits the adversity faced at all levels of his life and his faith, as the driving forces behind his motivations for success.
From Shreveport to Detroit, Robertson has risen from overlooked underdog to living proof that at 5’8-1/2”, his heart is bigger than most—and from that he stands tall among the NFL’s most fearless, ballhawking corners.
Turning Down LSU?
Amik Robertson’s football journey began at Thibodaux High School in Louisiana. Rated as a three-star recruit, he drew interest from several major programs—including Houston, Kansas State, and even LSU. He chose Louisiana Tech, for a Louisiana kid, turning down LSU raised eyebrows, but Robertson wasn’t chasing the biggest name—he was chasing the best opportunity to play right away. A decision that gave him the chance to make an immediate impact and prove that his size would never define his ceiling.
At Tech, he wasted no time standing out. From 2017 to 2019, he started every season, earning Defensive MVP honors in the 2017 Frisco Bowl as a freshman and capping his career as a first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. In just three years, he piled up 184 tackles, 14 interceptions, four sacks, and three defensive touchdowns before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Raiders Life
Robertson entered the NFL in 2020 as the 139th pick in the fourth-round to the Las Vegas Raiders. Still overlooked and viewed as undersized, Robertson was going to have to wait a little while longer to show the world the fearless, relentless and scrappy style he played with at Louisiana Tech.
Robertson was inactive as a healthy scratch for the first three games of his rookie campaign. Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden labeled Robertson as a backup behind Trayvon Mullen, Lamarcus Joyner, Damon Arnette, Isaiah Johnson, and Keisean Nixon to open the 2020 season. It wasn’t the first time he had been tagged as a backup, and it wouldn’t be the last. The long climb up to the surface wouldn’t be easy.
“I came up being doubted, when I was at the Raiders, a lot of people said like, ‘OK, he’s just not good enough.’ And my first two years, I believed them. My confidence was gone.”
“I told myself I would never let it happen again because my confidence is what got me here, my confidence is what got me in the league at 5-9, 5-8 ½, coming from a small school, I did the impossible, I did what people didn’t do. Think about it, Louisiana Tech, 14 picks, stat’s crazy. Nobody did that ever, and I got drafted from there without even going to the combine, so it’s like God was always on my side, I just had to put the work in and turn the doubters into believers.”
Robertson played sparsely his first two seasons, logging only four tackles his rookie season, 19 tackles in 2021 and then 2022 happened. Robertson had earned seven starts in seventeen games, compiling 38 tackles, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble and two interceptions.
His last season as a Raider, Robertson started 12 games, finished the 2023 season logging an 85.7 passer rating against 64 targets, picking off three, contesting countless reps with only three TDs allowed and even chipped in one sack. Digging his way to the top of the soil, Amik carved out a reputation as a physical corner who never backed down from bigger receivers, often winning bigtime reps. The wait was now over, the world now knew who Amik Robertson was.
2024 Begins: AMIK ARRIVES
When the Lions signed Robertson in 2024, it wasn’t with fanfare. It was with intent. Brad Holmes and Aaron Glenn saw a fighter who could thrive in Detroit. Detroit’s scheme, built on aggressive man principles and frequent Cover-1, required corners who could win on an island—a responsibility which Robertson welcomed.
“It’s the reason we signed him… He doesn’t turn down any challenge and no matter what, you can say ‘hey, go cover that guy’ and he’s going to give you his best”. ~ Dan Campbell
Then It happened again, this time much of the local Detroit media slotted him as depth behind the team’s young corners, a backup, Robertson wasn’t having it. he wasted no time making sure the fanbase knew exactly who @_YoungTruth7 really was.
That wasn’t just talk, Robertson quickly proved he wasn’t in Detroit to be a backup. He was there to compete, to start, and to embody the standard that Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn demanded. Head coach Dan Campbell named him the starting nickelback and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season. What Gruden couldn’t see, Dan Campbell saw clearly, and Kelvin Sheppard already knew.
“Amik is literally my dog, that is my pit bull. I got a lengthy history from afar with this player. I have a really close friend of mine, Jeff Martin, he’s in player personnel at LSU, and he saw Amik coming out (of high school) and the first thing he ever told me when we got Amik, he said, ‘You just got a dog.’ He said, ‘I stood on the table at LSU years ago when they said he was too small. I watched him put on a knee brace and go out at LSU camp and ask for Justin Jefferson in one-on-ones.’ That’s like stuff that people don’t know about this player.” ~ Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard
2024 Season: THE RISE
After opening the 2024 season with one of the most overhauled secondaries in the league. The Lions new secondary produced a leagues best passer rating of 76.5 through the first 13 weeks of the season. Then adversity struck during week 15 when starting CB Carlton Davis suffered a fractured jaw. After being placed on injured—reserve along with numerous other defensive players, the Lions were suddenly in a bind. Immediately, the Lions turned to Robertson in week 16 to finish the season on the outside as CB1.
If there’s one performance that cemented Robertson’s place in Lions lore, it came during the week 18 regular-season finale. With the #1 seed and NFC North crown on the line, Robertson drew the unenviable task of shadowing Justin Jefferson. A player he was very familiar with, a rivalry going all the back to high school.
He Didn’t Just Survive — He Thrived.
Jefferson was held to just three catches for 28 yards when Robertson was in coverage.
On a pivotal third-and-seven in the fourth quarter, Robertson blanketed Jefferson on a deep out, forcing an incompletion that sent Ford Field into a frenzy.
Teammates mobbed him after the stop, with Aidan Hutchinson calling it “the play that sealed the division.”
Amik Robertson said that Justin Jefferson told him “good game” after scoring on him in Minnesota in Week 7. “After this game, he just walked off the field.”
That game wasn’t just about numbers, It was about Robertson embodying the Lions’ standard: relentless, fearless, and being ready for the moment. Detroit seized the NFC’s top seed and sent a message that reverberated throughout the league.
“Our next man is better than your best man” ~ Will Rock
The Fall Of 2024: JUST A CRUEL ENDING
The Lions pulled off the unthinkable—winning 15 games in 2024 despite losing over 21 players to IR this season, including their entire starting defensive line, linebacker corps, and immediate backups. No excuses, the divisional round playoff against Washington was next.
Robertson had emerged as a vital piece of Detroit’s secondary, one of the few stabilizing pieces to a defense ravaged by injuries across the front seven. Robertson suffered a broken arm on the game’s opening series. Another gut punch during a season defined by attrition.
Robertson underwent season ending surgery the next day. The Lions’ season ended like a 12‑round prizefight—standing tall until the final seconds, only to be floored by a knockout punch with 11 seconds left before the final buzzer.
Following a season of so much adversity, the abrupt loss was seen as a cruel. The organization and the fanbase rallied around Robertson, despite the injury his leadership, fire, and toughness were key reasons Detroit had reached new heights that season. Robertson finished 2024 with an 89.3 passer rating against 80 targets—allowing only 2 TDs.
2025 Season: THE IMPACT
Through the first three weeks of the 2025 season, Amik Robertson had a limited role, primarily playing in sub packages. His playing time was impacted by the Lions’ 4-3 base defensive scheme, which allowed fewer snaps in a nickel formation compared to the previous season.
Week 4 vs Cleveland, the real turning point of the season began. Kelvin Sheppard announced the usage of Amik Robertson would increase, replacing Terrion Arnolds’ snaps in rotation. During the third quarter, Arnold injured his shoulder and compounding the issue, DJ Reed left with a hamstring injury later in the 4th quarter. Robertson then moved outside as the last primary starter left.
Week 5 vs Bengals, already without D.J. Reed, who was on IR. Terrion Arnold was lost to a shoulder injury in the second half and later in the fourth quarter Rock Ya-Sin was lost to muscle cramping. None of which distracted Amik Robertson from handling his business. Robertson was dealing with a thinned secondary and still managed to limit Ja’Marr Chase’’ opportunities, securing his 1st interception in almost 2 seasons, racked up 6 tackles, 4 stops and 2 PBU’s.
“Me personally, I feel like (expletive),” Robertson said. “I just have high expectations for myself, and outside looking in you might say, ‘Well, he caught a pick and he started off fast, he’s all over the field.’ But it’s like, that’s something that I − I do that shit in my sleep. This shit all about finishing.”
Through the first six weeks stretch of 2025, Amik Robertson has been one of Detroit’s most reliable defenders. He’s delivered timely takeaways, set the tone with physical play, steadying a defense once again hit hard by injuries.
Week 7: “Who?”
By Week 7 of 2025, Detroit’s secondary was in pieces. Every starting corner and safety was sidelined—Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (suspension) at safety, D.J. Reed (hamstring, IR) and rookie Terrion Arnold (shoulder) at corner, with veteran Avonte Maddox (hamstring) also inactive.
That left Amik Robertson as the de facto CB1, charged with leading a group of young, untested players still finding their footing in the league. Under his direction, the patchwork unit delivered its finest performance of the season.
Baker Mayfield was limited to 4.6 yards per attempt and a 66.1 passer rating—both season lows—as the Lions’ defense swarmed for a season-high 12 passes defended, eight coming from the secondary. Robertson set the tone early by forcing a fumble and anchoring a group that refused to bend, let alone break.
Nick Whiteside: Just 15 career defensive snaps before the game—played 40 against Tampa, breaking up three passes and adding a fourth on the Bucs’ two-point try.
Erick Hallett: Zero career defensive snaps entering the night—logged 64.
Thomas Harper: Six career starts but never more than 34 snaps in a game—played 69.
Loren Strickland: Zero career defensive snaps—saw 14 under the lights.
2025 Season: THE LEGACY
Robertson’s story in Detroit is only beginning. In a league where injuries are inevitable, the value of a player who can step in, elevate, and deliver in the biggest moments is immeasurable. His confidence and resilience not only raised his own play but reshaped the standards and culture of an entire locker room.
For a Lions team chasing sustained contention, Robertson embodies the shift. From shutting down Justin Jefferson in the season’s defining game, to steadying a defense ravaged by attrition, to setting the emotional tone after heartbreak, he has given everything asked—and more.
Watching once-overlooked players grow into indispensable leaders is the kind of arc usually reserved for movies. Robertson’s legacy in Detroit may ultimately be defined by how he gave the Lions belief when no one else did—rallying a battered roster to trust that no matter who went down, the fight would never leave the field. His impact, his spirit, and his standard have become the blueprint for what it means to rise from the dirt.
“They can’t bury what comes from the dirt.” ~ Amik Robertson
Join The Detroit Football Journal Daily Podcasts Below
LATEST STORIES
Deep Dive: Coaching Strategy Breakdown for Matt LaFleur Ahead of Week 1
Matt LaFleur enters the 2025 season with a reputation for precision and poise. While Dan Campbell commands headlines with his aggressive fourth-down calls, LaFleur operates with a quieter intensity—his playbook built on motion, misdirection, and rhythm. Since taking over in Green Bay, he’s led the Packers to multiple playoff appearances and crafted one of the league’s most efficient offenses, even amid roster turnover and quarterback transitions.
The NFC North's Top Ranked Quarterback Is Once Again Jared Goff - It's Not Close
Every season Rocked On Sports Media performs an unbiased review for all positional groups within the NFC North. Grading, analyzing and ranking each positional group from one (1) being the best, and four (4) being the worst.
This is a great piece on Amik. He is such an awesome guy and a badass football player. I'm so glad he's a Lion