Robinson gets his kicks

RENTON, Wash. – Koren Robinson was excited. The Seahawks were curious.

Both wanted to see how the wide receiver performed on the first day of his return to the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2001, then fired him three years ago for his alcohol troubles.

He made a diving catch of a pass from Matt Hasselbeck across the middle during Wednesday’s practice, one of the first routes for Robinson in Seattle since Jan. 8, 2005, a playoff loss to St. Louis.

Then he watched the last 30 minutes of practice, listening to his body tell him he’s not yet in playing shape.

“Just being cautious. I’m not going to come in and do 100 reps right now,” said Robinson, who weighs 211 pounds and hopes to get down to 204. “I’ve been working out, but that can’t simulate football.”

Ready or not, Robinson will play Sunday for the desperate Seahawks against the Rams, a matchup of 0-2 teams.

Coach Mike Holmgren has told him – plus Keary Colbert, acquired in a trade from Denver on Tuesday for a late-round draft pick – “listen, as unfair as this may sound, I’m going to push you out on the field.”

Seattle already has six wide receivers injured. So Robinson is going in at split end and maybe even as a kick returner, with Colbert at flanker.

Holmgren said he hasn’t figured out who will start Sunday. Disappointing Courtney Taylor, plus undrafted rookie Michael Bumpus and Billy McMullen, signed last week, are the other healthy wide receivers on the roster.

“He’s in pretty good shape, not great shape,” Holmgren said of Robinson.

Robinson said he has U-turned from jail time, suspensions and a possible lifetime ban from the NFL.

“I’ve grown up fast — faster than most people want to — but I have,” Robinson said.

He is back, sober for 25 months, a 28-year-old husband, a father to two young boys with a girl due in a few weeks.

“I’m just fortunate that it came full circle and I’m back here in my first home,” he said.

The league suspended him for four games after he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy during the 2004 season, his worst and last with Seattle. Holmgren liked Robinson, and he was popular with his teammates. The coach fined him – “he still owes me some money, by the way,” Holmgren said. He sent Robinson to rehabilitation. None of it worked.

In May 2005, Robinson was arrested and charged with DUI and reckless driving. New team president Tim Ruskell cut him a month later.

Sunday will be his first game since last January’s NFC championship game with Green Bay.