Noah Robb finishes strong in senior football season

Four years ago, Lehigh football senior linebacker Noah Robb stepped onto the field ready to compete and begin his Division I football career. But his first season did not go as smoothly as he had hoped.

During summer training camp, Robb sustained an injury that kept him off the field, causing him to miss half his freshman season. Although this injury was a setback, it did not keep Robb from making an impact on the field later that year.

After overcoming this injury, Robb still managed to appear in five games, registering seven tackles. He was also named Patriot League Rookie of the Week in October 2012 for his performance in a win over Columbia University.

This season helped Robb develop leadership skills he would carry with him for the rest of his career as a Mountain Hawk.

“Coming in as a freshman, (Robb) was just trying to find his way,” defensive line coach Donnie Roberts said. “He really grew up, and since he had a chance to play as a freshman he’s really developed into a good leader who knows what it takes to be a winner.”

Roberts has played a role not only in Robb’s college football career, but also his high school one as well. As a Lehigh Valley native, Noah attended Central Catholic High School where he won a state championship and played with Roberts’ son.

“Since I grew up around here and only live 20 minutes away, I always had it in the back of my mind that Lehigh was a great choice,” Robb said. “I looked at a lot of other Patriot League and Ivy League schools too and the recruiting process was pretty frustrating, but it worked out well in the end.”

Roberts began recruiting Robb early in his high school career knowing he would be a good fit for both the athletics and academics at Lehigh. He said picking Robb was an easy choice due to his skill set and intelligence.

Robb had a breakout sophomore season, starting in all 11 games at inside linebacker for the Hawks. He finished the season with 55 tackles and three sacks and made a season high 10 tackles against Central Connecticut State University.

Senior linebacker Noah Robb gets into the backfield and tackles a Yale University player on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at Goodman Stadium. Robb has 48 tackles this season. (Austin Vitelli/B&W Staff)

“I’m small for my position so I try to make up for it with my speed, but I like hitting people instead of getting hit,” Robb said.

As a junior, Robb returned to inside linebacker where he made 16 tackles. He also played in the game against Lafayette College at Yankee Stadium, which he said was his favorite game of his career yet.

He said the atmosphere and the fans were awesome, noting that he will never get to play in that kind of stadium again.

Besides being a competitor, Robb brings a lot more to the football team. According to his coaches, he is a dedicated athlete, a hard worker and a person who has a lot of pride.

“Noah is the ultimate teammate,” senior linebacker Dakota Kondas said. “He brings a great energy to the team and you can always count on him on and off the field.”

Family is also a very important part of Robb’s life. He attributes a lot of his success in football to his family and the support they have given him.

“His family means a lot to him, and it was important to him to have his little sister be around to see him play and for him to be around them,” Roberts said. “I think kids who have a pride in who they are and where they are from is really important as an athlete.”

Although Robb’s football career will come to an close after this school year, he says he plans to stay a fifth year to get a dual degree in finance and engineering.

“What I’ll miss the most about playing college football is probably just the locker room and hanging out with the guys,” Robb said. “These guys will always be my friends.”