Two weeks before the kickoff to his rookie season in the NFL, running back Brian Robinson Jr. was in surgery after being shot twice. Robinson still finished the season as the Washington Commanders’ leading rusher.

At least one person was not surprised by that: Robinson’s college coach at Alabama, Nick Saban.

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“Obstacles create opportunities sometimes to be able to overcome adversity, work through it, be able to stay positive,” Saban said. “And I don’t think anybody can be a great competitor if they can’t overcome adversity. And I think the way B-Rob handled all that, worked his way back and got back in the lineup as soon as possible, I think he showed a tremendous amount of maturity in being able to overcome that adversity.”

Saban joins family members, coaches with Washington and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and the running back himself in telling Robinson’s comeback story in “Warrior: The Brian Robinson Jr. Story | Behind the Scenes of Triumphant Comeback from Shooting,” a video released by the Commanders on Monday night.

Saban had seen Robinson’s perseverance while at Alabama.

Robinson ran for 447 yards in a single game for Hillcrest. But when he joined the Crimson Tide in 2017, the depth chart also included future NFL running backs Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, Najee Harris and Josh Jacobs.

“It was something I was working for ever since I was 8, 9, 10, 11 years old right here,” Robinson said of playing at Alabama. “The first time I was able to put that jersey on with my name on it and actually run out of there, I realized that dreams are real.”

During his first four seasons at Alabama, Robinson ran for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns on 274 carries, increasing his yardage annually.

“Perseverance is one of the things that’s important to being successful because I don’t think you can improve if you don’t think there’s something you can do better,” Saban said.

In 2021, Robinson emerged with 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns on 271 carries as the Tide’s No. 1 running back.

“The guys that persevere, stick with it, and even though they may be disappointed they’re not getting to play as much as they like, they contribute to the team however they can,” Saban said. “And B-Rob did that in his junior season when he wasn’t playing as much as he wanted to. And then he made a decision that I’m going to come back and I’m going to have a great year because I’m going to have a better opportunity, and he did that with flying colors. …

“He had a great season here. I think the thing I admire about him most is his toughness and his tenacity as a player and a competitor.”

On Aug. 28, 2022, the day after the Commanders’ final preseason game, Robinson was shot in the hip and knee when he was accosted by two armed teens seeking to steal his Dodge Challenger Hellcat in Washington, according to District of Columbia police, who reported Robinson wrested a gun away from one of the boys before being shot by the other.

After being shot, Robinson was taken to a hospital, where he had surgery before being released the next day.

The injuries caused the third-round draft choice to miss the first four games of the season. Robinson made his NFL debut on Oct. 9, 2022, went into the starting lineup the next week and played in 12 games before an injury kept him off the field in the season finale.

Robinson ran for 797 yards and two touchdowns on 205 carries and caught nine passes for 60 yards and one touchdown as a rookie.

Through five games his season, Robinson has 271 yards and three touchdowns on 67 rushing attempts and nine receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown for Washington.

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Saban thinks lessons learned at Alabama have helped Robinson in the NFL.

“What we try to get our guys to focus on here is not what team you’re on, not even how much you’re going to play, but what do you have to do to develop,” Saban said. “If you have that mindset — and that’s part of the culture here — then you’re going to go out there and improve every day. And, hey, we go a lot of good players, but the competition makes you better.”

Robinson and the Commanders’ 2023 season continues on Sunday, when Washington plays the Atlanta Falcons at noon CDT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.