May 1, 2009 4:15 pm US/Central
Obama In-Law An Inspiration To Chicago Students
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Craig Robinson, the brother of first lady Michelle Obama, returned to his former high school, Mount Carmel, on Friday.
CBS
He had a front row seat on inauguration day.
Craig Robinson stood right behind the president and Michelle Obama.
Friday, Robinson is back in Chicago. And CBS 2's Derrick Blakley spoke to him about how his life has changed since his little sis went to the White House.
What's it like to be back on his old stomping grounds?
"It really feels good to be back," Robinson said.
Back at Mount Carmel, where as a basketball star Craig Robinson wore number 32, graduating 1979. But he returned Friday as a celebrity in his own right. Because if Michelle Obama is the first lady, Robinson's the first brother.
"Because of this face, I'm more recognizable because I look just like my sister, people tell me," he said. "Although she looks better than me, thank goodness."
Robinson says his sister's rise to national prominence, and her growing acceptance both here and abroad, has been exhilarating to watch.
"I'm not surprised," he said of his sister's popularity. "My sister has always been good at what she's chosen to be good at. That's why I was always so confident if she got this role, she'd be terrific.
Robinson says Michelle's having no trouble adapting to the new first puppy, Bo.
"My sister's always wanted a dog," he said. "She tried to blame it on the girls, but she's always wanted a dog."
It sure seems high achievement runs in the family. Robinson graduated Princeton, was a bond trader, now head coach. He has combined academics and athletics, lessons he says began at Mt. Carmel.
"I want to get across to these guys that striving for excellence doesn't have to be a chore," he said. "You can make it a lifestyle."
The message apparently was received.
"If he can get into a good school and be a good athlete at the same time, I can, too," St. Columbanus School student Ezekiel Morris said.
Fellow student Quejuan Henley said, "Being a good athlete can only take you so far in the world, but your wits can take you as far as you want to go."
Craig Robinson says his life is gradually returning to normal. People are getting used to seeing him around Corvallis, Ore., the small college town where he lives.
But when he's in Washington, D.C. visiting his mother, his sister and the president, that sense of awe returns. He's still digesting the whirlwind of events that catapulted all of them to the White House.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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