Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Landon Robinson arrived at his first NFL game in full Navy dress uniform on Sunday, as the league’s Week 1 slate marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with tributes across every stadium.
Robinson, a Naval Academy graduate, faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a member of the Bengals’ 53-man roster, though he was among seven Cincinnati players designated inactive for the contest. He did not play, but his presence in uniform drew attention as a deliberate mark of respect for the day rather than a fashion statement.
Robinson graduated from the Naval Academy in May 2026 with a degree in cyber operations and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He remains obligated to serve, continuing in the reserves under a provision that allows a limited number of service-academy athletes to pursue professional sports while fulfilling their military commitments. Robinson has said he is on a 10-year reserve commitment that will not interrupt his football career, though he could be called to active duty at a later point.
The Bengals selected Robinson in the seventh round of April’s draft, the franchise’s first pick from a service academy since 1968. At 6-foot and 295 pounds, he is undersized for the position, but he has credited his Naval Academy background for the discipline that helped him win a spot on the roster.
“The Naval Academy, it’s a leadership laboratory,” Robinson said after the draft.
Reaching the 53-man roster as a late-round pick who must balance a decade-long service obligation with a professional football career is a notable achievement in itself, regardless of playing time in Week 1.
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