Found his calling

Noah Robbins nominated for Ed Thomas Award

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — It was a battle between football and God … and God won.

“I came to the decision about two weeks ago,” Noah Robbins said. “It was hard, but I decided I would eventually have to walk away from the game at some point in my life. And I thought if I was going to pursue a career in the ministry, I should get into right away.”

Robbins is a senior at Calvary Baptist Academy. After graduation, he plans to serve as an assistant pastor to his father, Tim Robbins, who is the head pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, located at 703 Milwaukee St.

Though the younger Robbins is a student at CBA, since seventh grade he has been a multi-sport athlete representing the Charles City School District.

“We’re obviously not big enough to form sport teams here,” said Robbins, who was a two-way starting lineman for Comets this past fall.

Despite drawing interest from several colleges to continue his football career, Robbins likely has played his last organized game in pads and helmets. But the sport — which Robbins considers his favorite — may still have a blessing or two left for him.

Robbins has been nominated by his football coach, Darren Bohling, for the Ed Thomas Award.

“I was nominated about two months ago,” Robbins said of the award issued to a recipient in all state classes by the Iowa Football Coaches Association in memory of the legendary Aplington-Parkersburg coach who was shot to death by one of his former players in 2009.

The award is given to players who exhibit strong religious beliefs and character.

“They’ll shorten the list of nominees before choosing the final one in each class,” Robbins said. “Those will be honored at the Shrine All-Star Football Game [July at the UNI-Dome].

“If I get chosen, it would be great. But it’s a great honor already to just be nominated.”

Football isn’t the first sport Robbins has chosen to walk away from.

“I love basketball … I play it all the time at the YMCA,” said Robbins, who played basketball for the Comets through his junior year. “But to tell you the truth, I’m not a very good basketball player.”

So Robbins decided to forgo his senior hoops season to better prepare for the track and field season, where he a thrower for the Comets.

“Our basketball team has a lot of young talent … more talented than me, which is great,” Robbins said. “If I was still on the team, I would just be taking up their playing time.

“Instead, I worked on getting stronger.”

Robbins said that with the inclement weather washing and freezing out outdoor meets and practices, he’s not quite where he would like to be at this point in the season throwing the shot put and discus.

“I do have a throw of more than 47 feet this year, which would have been good enough to get to state last year,” Robbins said of his top shot put throw. “But you can be throwing 50s all year, then have a bad day districts and throw a 35, and you’re done.”