By Susan Jones
Back in 1996 it was ASU quarterback Jake Plummer and die hard Sun Devil fans that could rest assured they were in good hands with center Kirk “Doc” Robertson. Today, it’s his young patients.
Robertson always knew he was destined for a career in the Science and Health field, which is why one of his former coaches nicknamed him “Doc.” The former ASU football star now owns a Flagstaff pediatric dental practice along with his wife Jessica and while going from dodging tackles to cleaning teeth may sound like a stretch to some, the transition came quite naturally.
Kirk Robertson grew up in Green Bay, WI; a place where football is everything to fans. Although he ended up playing high school football in Simi Valley, CA, his family was so sure that he would return to Wisconsin and become a Badger that they had already begun asking him for tickets. Aside from Wisconsin, Robertson had a big decision to make because he was also being recruited by Stanford, Cal and Arizona State. In the end, he made the wise decision to become a Sun Devil.
One of the major reasons he did so was due to the addition of Coach Bruce Snyder and his staff, including coaches Donnie Henderson and Dan Cozzetto, all of whom stressed the importance of both football and academics. He was impressed by the various majors offered by ASU and felt inspired to succeed both on and off the field.
“A college education lays the groundwork for your entire educational sequence,” Robertson said, “and I was honored to go to ASU.”
At the outset of his college experience, Robertson held a strong passion for Science and working with people but was unsure of which career path he wanted to pursue. He wanted to play football and had aspirations of being drafted by the NFL, but knew that his ultimate goal was to receive a good education. That was when he found both a friend and mentor in ASU faculty member, Dr. Richard Satterlie.
Dr. Satterlie not only saw Robertson’s great potential, but also helped to guide him and show him what was expected at the college level. The combination of a great mentor and the nudge of an ASU classmate then helped steer Kirk in the direction of his current career; pediatric dentistry. Between all of the labs, school work, and studying, Robertson somehow found a way to incorporate his other passion; playing football.
The first time he sprinted out of the tunnel and set foot on ASU’s football field to the cheers of 50,000 screaming Sun Devil fans, Robertson was in awe. He found it slightly overwhelming, going from a crowd of a few thousand high school fans to a crowd of tens of thousands of college fans.
“It takes your breath away,” he said.
Life can be lonely at times for a college freshman, but Robertson said that ASU quickly became home to him. He found it comforting to play on his home turf in front of die hard Sun Devil fans. He feels that ASU has one of the best stadiums in the Pac-10 by far, but says that the outstanding fans deserve to see some improvements and updates on the stadium in exchange for all of the loving support they give to their team.
Robertson considers the close-knit bonds he forged with fellow players among some of the best memories he has of playing college football. He recalls that Pat Tillman was a true intellect in all areas and the two of them would often have debates over Science, as well as a myriad of other subjects. He says Tillman was, “Phenomenal in that regard.”
Robertson also said Tillman played hard, had a huge heart, and truly cared about his fellow teammates.
He also found a friend and confidante in then quarterback Jake Plummer. Robertson says that Plummer was similar to Tillman in the fact that they both “had a fire inside them” which he says was a characteristic among many guys on the team. Both Plummer and Tillman acted as the driving force of the team and were inspirations to many of the younger players.
Although nearly 13 years have passed since graduation day, Robertson still keeps in touch with his former teammates, and says when they catch up; it’s as if not a day has gone by since they shared the same locker room. He really misses the guys who helped make up the unstoppable offensive line, including Grey Ruegamer, Kyle Murphy, Pat Thompson, Glen Gable and Juan Roque.
The most monumental, yet surreal moment of his college football career came during ASU’s trip to the 1997 Rose Bowl. Robertson says the cloudy and overcast atmosphere made it seem almost as if it was a dream. Although he had played on UCLA’s field many times, this was completely different, and it wasn’t until halftime that he began to grasp the concept of what he was feeling.
“It was a really neat experience and one that I will forever remember,” he said.
Another part of the Arizona State experience that Robertson has taken with him is the importance of what it means to be a good leader. He has always held a strong admiration for people who lead by example; the strong silent type. He looks up to legends that came before him such as Frank Kush and Vince Lombardi and adds that when they have something to say, people stop what they are doing and listen.
Like one of his heroes, Frank Kush, Robertson wants to make a difference after his time spent at Arizona State. Because he knows the importance of giving back to an organization that gave so much to him as an ASU student, he is an active member of the Sun Devil Club. The Sun Devil Club is an organization that provides scholarships to ASU’s student-athletes. It supports nearly 500 student- athletes and 21 ASU sports. Robertson considers it a responsibility and a privilege for alumni to be able to give back to the Sun Devil Club in return for all of the wonderful contributions it has made. With all of the sacrifices he made as player and now the donations he makes as a member, he finds it disheartening that more student-athlete alumni are not willing to do the same. There are other means of support if people can’t afford to donate money, such as volunteering their time or attending games.
Robertson says people can’t afford not to give back and that if a university has a strong athletic department, then everything else will fall into place.
Robertson goes on to say that both he and his wife would not have become dentists had it not been for their valuable education. His wife, Jessica, also an ASU graduate, majored in Bio Medical Engineering. While he supports the Sun Devil Club, his wife continues to support the Engineering Department.
The couple moved to Flagstaff six years ago, after getting specialty training for pediatric dentistry. They fell in love with the small town college atmosphere and thought that it would be a great place to raise their children; Keira age 5, and Theron, who is 2.
After settling there, the couple purchased a practice from existing dentist, Tom Turnbull, who has practiced in Flagstaff for over 30 years. Their patients are all children, ranging in age from a year old to well into their teens. Although the center of the practice is focused on growth and development, their main concern is the children’s well-being. They want to make the trip to the dentist’s office a pleasant, not frightening experience. Kirk Robertson says that it is not just about the teeth, but watching the children grow up. He has even become a role model to some of his patients. They enjoy talking football with Kirk while feeling comfortable in the dentist’s chair. One mother has even told him that two of her kids are in college because of him. The fact that he made such an impression on the kids makes Robertson feel his job is very rewarding. To say that Robertson is a humble man is an understatement. He is full of wisdom and encourages people to make the right choices in life.
In the words of Kirk Robertson, “Life is about choices and decisions. Everything you do is either a choice or decision that’s going to direct your path in life.”