Football player with Port St. Joe connections to go to Super Bowl

Longtime Port St. Joe resident Betty Harris is especially excited to watch the Super Bowl this weekend.

The game, normally a highly anticipated event, is a little extra special for her this year.

“My grandson, Janarius Robinson, will be playing in the Super Bowl,” she said. “I am so excited to watch him play. After my church Sunday, I’m going to be coming home and watching it.”

Robinson, who was born and raised in Panama City and attended Bay High School, is a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. His family has deep Port St. Joe roots.

He attended Florida State University where he played four years on their defensive line.

Robinson was signed by the Eagles in September after spending his rookie season with the Vikings.

He hosts a youth football camp in Panama City each summer to give back to his community. He is not on the Eagles’ starting line, but he told our media partners at WMBB that making it to the Super Bowl was like “living out his dreams.”

Harris said that the whole family is looking forward to celebrating his success on Sunday.

“I’m cheering for him. I’m going for the Eagles, and I’m hoping and praying that they’ll be blessed and win the game,” she said. “I’m really excited, and so is his mother and all his family in Texas and all over.”

Super Bowl LVII is set for 6:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 12. The Eagles enter as 1.5-point favorites.

This story has been updated from an earlier version to better reflect Robinson’s upbringing and correct an error regarding his mother’s education.