Fresno State Athletics
Robert Stanley heads to NFL Draft in Chicago
4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 27, 2016
By Jason Clay
jaclay@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State junior inside linebacker Robert Stanley is headed to Chicago on Wednesday to be with his older brother, Ronnie, for the first round of the NFL Draft in the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
Ronnie, a consensus All-American left tackle at Notre Dame, is projected to be a high draft pick when the draft begins on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m. PST.
"Ronnie was blessed to be invited by the NFL to come to Chicago, he accepted their invitation wanting to experience this once of a lifetime opportunity," said Juli Stanley, the boys' mother. "Robert and Ronnie are very close and they've travelled this journey together."
That journey starts with family, a very athletic one at that.
Father Ron played football and baseball in high school before going on to play linebacker at the University of Tuskegee. Juli played basketball, volleyball, tennis and competed in track & field in high school. Younger sister, Raychel, signed an NLI to join Loyola Marymount's women's basketball team next year.
Robert and Ronnie, two years apart in age, did not idolize football as much as they did basketball during their youth.
"Growing up we both wanted to play basketball. Basketball was our first love," Robert said. "When we got to high school that kind of changed from basketball over football to football over basketball."
Ron kept the boys in football along with basketball when they were younger and both Ronnie and Robert grew to love football playing at powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Together they helped the Gaels win the 2011 Nevada Class 4A state crown, one of seven-consecutive state titles Bishop Gorman won from 2009-15.
"I'm just happy for him," Robert said of his brother. "Going back to when we were really young playing basketball, he didn't want to play football. My dad would always make him play football and look at where it's got him. It's kind of funny how things work out that way, but I know he's excited and is loving the moment right now."
Much like his brother Ronnie at Notre Dame, Robert is springing forward as he matures throughout his collegiate football career. He joined Fresno State in 2013 as a 17-year-old freshman, redshirted and in the time since says has added 40-45 pounds of muscle to his frame over the last three years.
According to Nick Toth, Fresno State's inside linebackers coach, the coaching staff knew right away he was a very intelligent young man with a high football IQ who just needed to develop physically.
"The growth he's had in the last 18 months has been huge and I think it would have happened even earlier if we would have identified him as a will linebacker," Toth said, mentioning Robert had moved between inside and outside linebacker in the early stages of his career. "His skill set really fits inside where we are playing him and he's really grabbed onto it and gone. At the same time he's been playing that position, his body has changed and turned into a 235-, 240-pound man and he's gotten really serious about being a college football player."
How serious? Robert says he is hoping to follow Ronnie's path and play in the NFL after college.
"I've always kind of followed his footsteps in a way," Robert said. "Once he started playing football, that's when I started concentrating on football a little bit more too. When he was in high school and started getting all these scholarship offers it was like `now it is my turn to get some scholarships too.' "
Toth can see the NFL in his future, saying he has the tangibles that it takes to play his position at the highest level.
"He's has a big body and he's able to run really fast straight ahead, that sounds a lot like those guys that are playing on the next level," Toth said. "I think he's got a pretty high ceiling and mentally he is just so far ahead of the game. He can coach the inside linebacker and outside linebacker positions while he is on the field.
"He is as good as it gets right now in terms of football IQ and his preparation on a daily basis does nothing but add to that."
Stanley played in nine games and made one start in 2015 with 10 tackles. He followed that up with what Toth called "the best spring of any inside linebacker."
"He's more confident and I think that is one of the biggest things with a guy you see getting into their fourth and fifth season," Toth said. "He's accomplished some early goals and now we are setting really high goals for him."
Stay tuned to Fresno State's Instagram (Fresno_State_Football) and Twitter accounts (@FresnoStateFB) to see pictures from the Stanley family Thursday night at the NFL Draft.
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