Illinois State Head Coach Talks About Meeting Eddie Robinson Ahead Of FCS National Championship Game

When Illinois State plays North Dakota State in today’s FCS National Championship Game, Eddie Robinson’s influence will be part of it.

In an interview on WSCR-670 (Chicago), Illinois State head coach Brock Spack, named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, said a brief interaction with the legendary Grambling State coach years ago at a football camp shaped his development.

“I was 25 years old and Eddie was in his 60s at the time,” Spack said. “He was taking notes on everything. I asked him about and he said ‘if you’re too old to learn, then you should get out of coaching.'”

Spack, who is now in his sixth season at Illinois State, said he observed Robinson the entire day and was impressed by “the fine line he drew” and “the research he did.”

Spack’s account is just another in a long line of tales that highlight Robinson’s impact on the sport.