LISTEN: Dale Robinson talks time in prison, raising son Wan'Dale

Dale Robinson’s story is one of earning another chance.

The father of former Kentucky Wildcat turned second-round NFL Draft pick, Wan’Dale Robinson, Dale missed out on the majority of his son’s childhood due to his own personal mistakes. After being in and out of prison for over a decade, Dale decided to change course. Not long after he got out from behind bars in 2018, Robinson started his own fitness company, which is still going strong to this day. He was able to stand next to his son when Wan’Dale heard his name called by the New York Giants with the 43rd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft last week.

During Friday’s edition of the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning show, the elder Robinson explained in great detail how the last 15 or so years of his life have gone. Topics discussed include Dale’s reaction to Wan’Dale getting drafted, how he developed a love for fitness training, the struggles of trying to raise his sons from prison, and how he got roped into a bad crowd but found a way to escape.

Proud of what we put on @macandcube this morning interviewing @DRobinson_Guru father of @UKFootball @Giants WR @wanda1erobinson

Wonderful story of family bonds, overcoming adversity & reinventing oneself…

You won't regret listening👇🏼https://t.co/LnfIJuJXSg

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) May 6, 2022

Robinson was incredibly transparent and open in the interview, describing the raw emotions and counterproductive decisions he made while Wan’Dale was young. Dale went to prison the first time when Wan’Dale was just six months old and didn’t get out until his son was four years of age. Two years later, Dale went back to jail for getting caught with the intent to distribute $250,000 worth of cocaine, where he would stay for roughly eight more years.

It was his second stint in prison that would lead to him changing his ways. In fact, Dale knew something needed to be fixed when he helplessly watched Wan’Dale cry from the other side of a glass window after learning his dad was heading back to jail.

I would encourage everyone to give it a listen. There are plenty of other intriguing stories, including one about how Dale used a different kid’s birth certificate for Wan’Dale so his son could play tackle football despite being too young at the time. You can check out the full 39-minute interview here.