Terry Robiskie considers this a significant honor.
One reason is the man for whom it is named, and another is the past recipients.
Robiskie, the Jaguars' running backs coach and a 38-year coaching veteran, has been nominated for the Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award. The Pro Football Writers of America announced the nomination Thursday.
"I feel honored," Robiskie said before the Jaguars' third practice of 2019 organized team activities Friday morning at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex.
The Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award recognizes lifetime achievement as an NFL assistant coach. Other 2019 Zimmerman Award nominees: Gunther Cunningham, Rod Marinelli, Bobb McKittrick and Mike Westhoff.
Past honorees: Jim Johnson, Howard Mudd, Fritz Shurmur and Ernie Zampese (2014); Dick LeBeau, Tom Moore and Dante Scarnecchia (2015); Monte Kiffin and Wade Phillips (2016); Bud Carson (2017); and Joe Bugel and Emmitt Thomas (2018).
Robiskie is in his first season as the Jaguars' running backs coach. He previously has coached Buffalo, Tennessee, Atlanta, Miami, Cleveland and with the then-Los Angeles Raiders.
"I've been around for a long time, and what I feel good about it is I feel like I was a part of the guys who started it [the NFL]," Robiskie said. "I started with [longtime Raiders Owner] Al Davis; he was one of the old originals.
"I've had conversations with [longtime Kansas City Chiefs Owner] Lamar Hunt, and believe it or not I've had a meeting with [former NFL Commissioner] Pete Rozelle. I've had a meeting with [former NFL Commissioner] Paul Tagliabue.
"Some rules and things we talked about, I feel like I was a part of that to help develop it. So that's fantastic."
The Zimmerman Award is named for longtime Sports Illustrated NFL Writer Paul Zimmerman, the magazine's lead NFL writer from 1979-2008. Zimmerman was long considered the top writer/reporter covering the NFL.
"The Number Uno guy … if you had any little bit of status, there was a guy named Paul Zimmerman…'' Robiskie said. "If Paul came and talked to you, you put your chest out. You talked to Paul. So to hear that is fantastic – and to hear some of the names [of nominees] I've heard …
"It's just an honor to be on the same page with those guys and to be mentioned in the same breath."
