Salpointe Catholic to retire Bijan Robinson's No. 5 jersey in assembly next Friday

Salpointe Catholic alum and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson will make an appearance at the Lancers’ assembly next week to see his jersey number retired. The Lancers will host Robinson, as well as former head coach Dennis Bene, next Friday, Sept. 4, in the school gym at 8:30 a.m. for the ceremony.

Arizona’s all-time career touchdowns leader with 114 across his four years in maroon and gold, Robinson became one of the most prolific rushers and recruits in the state’s history from 2016-20. He logged 7,036 rushing yards, second-all-time in Arizona history, including three seasons with over 2,000 yards on the ground.

For Zach Neveleff, Robinson’s running backs coach at Salpointe and now the head football coach at Tucson High, the running back’s rise carries a more personal meaning.

“Bijan is the kind of guy that’s always led by example,” his former coach said. “He might not be the most vocal guy in the world, but he was going to be the first to show up, last to leave and was always going to outwork everyone. That’s what I admired and strived to coach out of him, to outwork everyone even when you’re tired.”

The No. 2 overall running back in the class of 2020 and No. 16 recruit overall per Rivals Industry player recruiting rankings, Robinson was the Arizona Football Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. He led the Lancers to back-to-back 4A State Championship appearances in 2017 and 2018, as well as two undefeated regular seasons in 2018 and 2019.

A Salpointe alum himself, Neveleff returned home to work under head coach Dennis Bene and found himself responsible for the tutelage of a young Robinson in his position group. It didn’t take long for Neveleff to notice Robinson’s impact.

“Bijan had the ability,” Neveleff said. “He’s always going to have the ability; it was God-given. But channeling what God gave you is what really sets you apart.”

Following his Salpointe career, Robinson signed with the University of Texas, taking his talents to Austin, where he finished his three-year stint fourth overall in career rushing yards with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns, only trailing Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Earl Campbell - all four-year Longhorns. Williams and Campbell were both Heisman Trophy winners at Texas. He became the fourth Longhorn running back to win the Doak Walker Award in 2022 and earned unanimous All-American honors.

Robinson went to the Falcons with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has emerged as one of the NFL’s premier running backs, producing campaigns of over 1,400 yards in 2024 and 2025. He’s accumulated over 1,700 receiving yards and 38 touchdowns as a do-it-all back in Atlanta.

He became the NFL’s highest-paid running back in league history earlier this month on Aug. 4, signing a three-year extension worth up to $75 million. Detroit Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs subsequently signed an extension of his own two days later on Aug. 6, worth up to $75.75 million.

Even now, after all the NFL stardom across his career and the millions of football fans who will watch Robinson play this season, or pick him first in their fantasy football drafts, Neveleff still sees the young man from the late 2010s who brought Tucson and Salpointe football into the national limelight.

“When I see him, I still see that young kid that I met, and it’s just Bijan being Bijan,” Neveleff said. “He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and he will always excel.”

Salpointe opened its 2026 football season at Marana on Thursday night, slashing through the Tigers 28-7 to win one of Tucson’s premier rivalry games in Week 1.