Hunter Robertson has gone from the halls of Berkley High School to the iconic campus of the University of Michigan (UofM). From wearing Maroon and Blue at Hurley Field to wearing Maize and Blue at the Big House, it wasn’t an easy path. But Robertson, a 2023 BHS grad, could not be more happy or grateful to be a punter for the Michigan Wolverines.
Robertson, who is from Huntington Woods, attended Burton Elementary and Norup Middle School before arriving at BHS. He played soccer, football, basketball and baseball in high school. In football, playing primarily as a placekicker, Robertson was an Academic All-State Honoree and an All-Conference honoree as a junior in 2021.
“I started playing football the summer after my freshman year in high school,” said Robertson. “I saw some other kids on the soccer team playing football, so I knew that I wanted to try. The next thing I knew I was on the bus to my first football game ever. After a solid season in my Junior year I was hooked on football.”
After his junior year, Robertson started working with a kicking coach and working out with other kickers with similar goals of reaching a D1 level. He also started to attend college camps. “That work and those relationships made me love the game even more. That summer I was on the search to find any college that wanted me.”
That search, with the help of kicking coach Shane Hynes, led Robertson to Clarion University, a D2 school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
“Recruiting out of high school was primarily through Twitter,” Robertson said. “I would get my game clips and post them on Twitter for coaches to see. My kicking coach was my main help through recruiting. He helped me get in contact with Clarion University. It’s all about the connections and being able to get your name out there.” Robertson said.
Robertson earned two varsity letters, appearing in 22 games for the Golden Eagles, handling kickoff duties, punting, and placekicking. After his second season, he decided he wanted a change and entered the transfer portal in November 2024. While excited about a new opportunity, Robertson described the portal experience as both stressful and nerve-racking. He was on his own to train and find a new team. His goal was to sign before January 2025 so that he could enroll in school for the winter semester. When that didn’t happen, it became even more stressful.
“It was scary because I didn’t know if any schools would be interested after I was in the portal for so long.” Robertson said. “I would speak with schools that would express interest, but then the communication would stop.”
Robertson did receive an offer from Western Illinois, but he ultimately decided that wasn’t the right fit. Then, in February, he got in contact with the University of Michigan. He didn’t have a tryout with the Wolverines, but was sending them film through Hynes, his kicking coach from high school. Robertson was hopeful, but like the other schools, the communication eventually slowed down. Robertson eventually received an offer from Central Connecticut State and in May decided to commit. Just a few days later, Michigan reached out again.
“I decided to tell Central Connecticut State University that I was going to commit,” said Robertson. “Two days after that a college coach told me to try not commit anywhere for a week because some big schools still wanted to reach out. One day later I woke up to the Michigan special teams coordinator telling me that they still were looking for a punter. I was told that I needed to get more film and send it to him ASAP.”
Robertson and his kicking coach went out and got as much film as possible. After sending over the new film, Robertson was told that he would have an offer to play for the University of Michigan. After months of searching and talking to different schools, Robertson had finally found his new home.
“It was worth it, because I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world,” said Robertson. “Although Akron came in around the same time as UofM, growing up in Michigan and watching Big Ten football my whole life, I knew I wanted to go to Michigan.”
From high school sports to a D2 program to Michigan, Robertson has seen similarities and growth. “Clarion was a smaller setting like high school. There was a focus on weight training, and meetings for football,” said Robertson. “When I got to Michigan there was a big focus on nutrition, and recovery. There were resources that I have never had before. There are so many tools that I can use now and so many coaches that are willing to sit down and be able to watch films to help out.”
Of course, going from D2 to playing in front of 110,000 fans and on National TV is a huge change too. Robertson’s first home game was against New Mexico and his first road game was at Oklahoma. “Playing in the Big House was the coolest thing ever,” said Robertson. “Being on the sideline and just looking around was unreal. Also since it was a night game all the lights really stuck out making it an awesome experience.”
“Game experience is the most crucial part of being comfortable at the next level. Being able to play three years of football was so important for me because I was able to get used to being in front of a crowd and by the time I got to college it just felt like another day when I was out there for the game,” explained Robertson. “High school was very much trial and error for me when playing, as I was very new to the sport. I needed that time to grow going into college.”
As a student-athlete at one of the most well known colleges, the schedule is packed day in and day out. “During the season I have about two classes a day anywhere from 9-1 pm,” said Robertson. “Mondays and Wednesdays we have a lift at 6:45am. We start special teams meetings at 1:30 then move into team meetings, and positional meetings after. We start practice around 4:30 every day. I finish up the day around 7.”
Reflecting on his high school days, Robertson shared some of his favorite memories from BHS: “Some of my favorite memories from BHS were always beating Royal Oak whether it was basketball or football,” said Robertson. “Also some were from just hanging out with coaches and teammates. I still remember how much fun freshman basketball was with Coach Connor and Coach Dennis. Every team I was on was so much fun no matter the sport, the best memories came from being with my best friends every day of the week.”
There are so many fun memories and people who have had big impacts on Robertson. “There are so many people that helped me at BHS,” said Robertson, “Coach Steve, my soccer coach helped me create a mindset that was strong. [Berkley’s] soccer program was built on consistency and there was a seriousness about it that every player bought into.” For basketball, “Coach Sermo and Coach Vance really brought out a drive in me that was essential for everything I do. Lots of hard work in the basketball program, but that was what kept me going when it got tough.” For football, “Coach MacDonald was the main reason I started playing football. Him being on the staff really was a main reason I joined, so that changed my life,” said Robertson. “Mrs. Blackwell and Mrs. Ford were some of my favorite teachers that helped me have a great time while learning at BHS,” explained Robertson.
Robertson is grateful for all the coaches, teachers and mentors in his life. He now enjoys the opportunity to give back to high school athletes. “My main advice would be to stay consistent every day. It sounds easy, but if you can show up to practice, class, and lifts everyday and go at it, you will succeed. In high school, it’s very easy to just go through the motions and not take it very seriously. If you show up on the days you don’t want to be there and push through, you will see results. Finally, have fun while doing it. Sometimes I got caught up in being so focused on where I was going to college I would forget how much fun it is to play sports. Everyone has their own reason for playing sports, but we truly do this because we love it. Sometimes we forget that.”
Robertson’s drive for consistency was shaped early by competition at home. Growing up, he was always pushed athletically by his twin brother Henry, who also graduated from BHS in 2023 and is currently studying business at Michigan State University.
“Henry and I have been pushing each other since we started playing sports,” Robertson said. “Every day being able to go in the backyard, where we played every single sport, and compete was so much fun. This made me so much better as a competitor. I would not be anywhere close athletically to where I’m at today without my brother pushing me to be better.”
Robertson’s story is a great reminder that dreams don’t always follow a straight path. After graduating from Berkley High School and beginning his college career at a smaller school, Robertson is proof that hard work, dedication, and strong relationships can open doors to big opportunities.
