DeLaSalle star Derreck Robinson, who played at Iowa and in the NFL, dies at 43

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Joe Nelson | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 2:39 PM ET

One of the best football players to come out of Minnesota this century recently died unexpectedly.

Derreck Robinson, who starred on the gridiron at DeLaSalle High School and later played for the Iowa Hawkeyes and then with multiple teams in the National Football League, was 43 years old when he died in San Diego, California.

His cause of death has not been revealed.

"We are saddened to share the passing of Derreck Robinson ’00, a true Islander legend," DeLaSalle High School announced this week. "We hold his family and loved ones in our prayers. Once an Islander, always an Islander."

Robinson was part of the 1999 DeLaSalle state championship football team. That team was inducted into DeLaSalle's Hall of Fame in 2021.

"Stunned [and] saddened to hear news on Derreck," said David Thorson, the longtime DeLaSalle varsity basketball coach who now works as an assistant on the Minnesota Gophers men's basketball staff. "Great memories of him [and] championship crew of Men in Black. His McCrae Camp over two decades highlighted he never forgot his roots [and] cared for kids."

Personal Note: Stunned & saddened to hear news on Derreck. Great memories of him & championship crew of Men in Black. His McCrae Camp over two decades highlighted he never forgot his roots & cared for kids. Prayers to Willie, Nedra, Aaron, Hester & Robinson Family. #RIPBigD https://t.co/x1ri0bd1bn pic.twitter.com/hyKMH4Zf9c
— Coach Dave Thorson (@GrindersWinDT) August 13, 2025

Robinson starred for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04, helping Iowa win 38 games and win the Alamo, Outback and Capital One bowls. He totaled 76 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and four sacks during his college career.

He wasn't drafted to the NFL, but he caught on with the 2005 San Diego Chargers and later played for the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns.

In 2016, Robinson returned to Iowa as an honorary captain before the Hawkeyes played the No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Longtime Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said then that Robinson had "ups and downs like most players during his career... but he hung in there and developed into an outstanding football player."

The Hawkeyes reported in 2016 that Robinson was leaving in San Diego and working in real estate.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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