a native of fort worth, texas, robinson is a graduate of baylor university in waco texas. robinson was an all-american basketball player, 1946–48, while at baylor university. awarded the jack dempsey outstanding athlete award in 1947, he won a gold medal as an outstanding guard on the 1948 olympic basketball team in london. during the olympics he was among a group of athletes who went to buckingham palace and were formerly presented to the king, the queen and the then queen mother. subsequently the bbc broadcast his recollections of the event which included informal meetings with the princesses margaret and elizabeth and later an extended informal conversation with the king during which robinson corrected the king's misapprehension as to the relative statures of california and texas. a recording is still extant.