Nickell Robey Is an Elite College Football Player, People Just Don't Know It Yet

The title of this article sums up my respect and admiration for the work of Nickell Robey, but it's unfortunate that many college football fans don't give Robey a second thought when discussing the very best players around.

At 5'8" and 165 pounds, Robey carries by no means ideal size, but physical attributes can mean very little when you have all the mental aspects of the game firmly in your grasp.

A starter since his freshman season back in 2010, Robey enters his junior campaign as one of the most instinctive and hard-working players on the team.

In fact, Lane Kiffin went as far as to say that Robey compares favourably to former USC standout and NFL star Troy Polamalu.

Michael Lev of The Orange County Register reported before last season that the diminutive cornerback is among the hardest workers on the team, and that is a major equaliser on the field when it means his mind works that bit quicker than everyone else's.

Robey has a positive form of what is called "Wee Man Syndrome" here in Scotland.

This satirical syndrome is usually used to describe smaller men who are unfazed when challenging those who are far bigger in stature.

Now I'm not saying that Robey holds the negative connotations of this stereotype, but he definitely likes to be far more physical than you may expect.

In addition to spending plenty of time in the weight room, Robey is also a track star and used that discipline to improve his conditioning during the spring.

Even more impressive, though, is that, despite all his time taken up by training, Robey is on course to graduate with flying colours.

Robey has all the mental characteristics NFL scouts look for, and I have no doubt he would be mentioned alongside touted first-round picks if he was a few inches taller.

Tyrann Mathieu receives an  inordinate level of hype, despite also being roughly the same size as Robey. But, no matter how good Mathieu is, I'd take Robey and his consistency over Mathieu and a few of his big plays.

Yes, it is true that Robey is as diverse as they come and can get to the quarterback (he had two sacks last year), but his coverage abilities are seriously underrated.

I honestly can't think of another cornerback who breaks up as many passes; that being a testament to how he attacks the ball rather than the man, always being one step ahead in his mind.

Andrew Luck may have helped Robey garner some national attention when he thew an interception, which was returned 33 yards for a touchdown the other way.

It was a bad read but a perfect example of the gamebreaking ability Robey possesses.

His leadership qualities are also second to none.

During this offseason, he has spent extra time on the practice field mentoring the incoming freshman and trying to teach them how to be as effective as he is.

In the process of writing this article, I have also read some humbling  pieces on the family turmoil that he had to overcome before he even got to USC.

Now, I'm not a believer in analysing someone's personal life that I don't know, but I'm sure anyone would admit he must very resilient.

Named on the Jim Thorpe, Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Preseason watch lists, it would be nice to see Robey finally receive the credit that is long overdue.

I'm not a USC fan, but can't help but notice great talent. I hope that Robey continues to be an elite college player.

Robey is a poster boy for players who are overlooked and not heavily recruited because of size or strength. Other schools should take note and not let a similar talent slip their grasp again.