[3] In 1951, the family moved to Marana, Arizona (principally located in Pima County) where Leslie worked as a farm contractor.
Paul attended Marana High School, where he played basketball and football, but he especially excelled at track.
But when his track scholarship ended, Robinson turned to football out of necessity for one season, becoming the team's #2 running back his senior year.
[13][1] Beattie Feathers' gained 1,004 yards rushing in his 1934 rookie season (in only 11 games for the Chicago Bears).
Since then, Robinson became the second man to gain over 1,000 yards in his first year in professional football in the U.S., after Cookie Gilchrist did it for the Buffalo Bills in 1962.
[14][15] Robinson and Feathers were the only rookies coming directly out of college to lead their leagues in rushing.
[16]) Robinson is the only running back in professional football history to gain over 1,000 yards in a season for a first-year expansion team.
[citation needed] He was the 1968 United Press International and Sporting News AFL Rookie of the Year[17] and finished second in the MVP voting to Joe Namath.
[1] On October 24, 1972, he was traded along with running back Fred Willis to the Houston Oilers for wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard.