When Greg Robinson first got to Syracuse in 2005, he made a point to sit down with the team trainer and third-year linebacker Luke Cain. Robinson said that Cain already had issues before he took over as the head coach, so Robinson wanted to make sure it was clear that he would be kicked off the team if he tested positive on another drug test.

“And he did come back and test positive,” Robinson recalled. “So I was planning to send him home.”

Within two hours, word had spread throughout the team of Robinson’s intentions. The next thing he knew, 15 players had stepped into his office. They really knew Cain and they loved him. They knew about his difficult home life, Robinson said. At first, Robinson wasn’t sure what to think. But it didn’t take long for him to gather the whole team and tell them that Cain would have one more chance. If he screwed up again, he was done.

He never tested positive again.

“He ended up turning out to be a really good football player for us,” Robinson said. “He was always a great kid, he was a good athlete. But he buckled down. He played very well for us. He was a great guy.”

On Sunday, Cain passed away at the age of 33. He played at Syracuse from 2003-06, and started three games in his sophomore year and 11 in his senior year. The Washington D.C. native was found dead in his home, per syracuse.com. Robinson, who gave Cain a second chance, said he still thinks about him all the time.

Cain had been panhandling on the streets of Syracuse, but kept a strong relationship with Robinson’s son, Dominic, who worked in the community and often checked on Cain and would get him a meal.

“He would take him to the shelter,” Robinson said. “Periodically, he would run into Luke again, and he would go and take him back to the shelter. This went on for a period of time.”

When Robinson came back to Syracuse over the most recent Christmas holiday, he was walking downtown with his son. His mind jumped to Cain, a former player who he often thought of, and asked how he was doing.

“From the moment that I saw this group of young football players come into my office, and to express feelings, I knew right then that this was a very unique guy that’s got some qualities about him that are obviously wonderful. I really got to know the guy. He’s a great guy.

“He was a giving guy,” Robinson said. “He was there for anybody.”

Published on January 12, 2016 at 3:27 pm

Contact Sam: sblum@syr.edu | @SamBlum3