In Gladiator, Proximo wasn't the best because he killed quickly.

"I was the best because the crowd loved me," Proximo said. "Win the crowd, and you will win your freedom."

Well, it's been a long, messed-up trip for senior quarterback Michael Robinson and two things are certain: He owns the crowd and is now free from going down in history as the next Rashard Casey.

A collective "Who?" just rang out from a bunch of out-of-state freshmen.

Don't worry about it. Ask one of your in-state friends who live and die Penn State football. They can give you that history lesson.

You've probably heard of Kerry Collins. He's that guy who plays on Sundays in Oakland. Well, Robinson surpassed Collins' single-season record for total offensive yardage compiled by one human being in a Nittany Lions uniform.

Granted, that's just a statistic, but ask the Lions coaches how they feel about Robinson.

"You have people saying there's no way you can get him ready," quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno said. "There's no way he could be a quarterback at this level, so it's been extremely rewarding, and not just for him but for the whole senior class."

"It means the world to us," he continued. "Because you see these kids, and they bust their tails everyday in practice, and you want them to get the payoff, and they're getting the payoff now."

Paterno the Elder said after Saturday's win over Wisconsin that these seniors had to make themselves into a good football team.

"They weren't a bunch of doubting Thomases," the Elder said.

"It's amazing. A guy like Robinson, who's really been all over the place and he finally gets a shot at quarterback and people had some doubts as to whether he was a big-time quarterback. So I think if you look at the way he's performed this year, you got to feel good about it."

Of course, there are obvious questions right now.

Will Robinson be able to stay focused during the bye week?

Will he be a warrior in the Wolverine state and avenge the loss of the last battle the Lions fought there?

How will the coaches ensure one more win, one more big bowl ticket for the aging sage in the autumn of his career?

Ask Paterno the Younger.

"Well, you know, when the Roman generals used to come back to Rome with the legions, they always had a guy that sat next to the Roman general as they were coming into the city," Jay said. "And, they were throwing things, you know everybody's cheering, and the guy would say sitting next to him, 'Fame is fleeting. Fame is fleeting,' to remind him that you're up today, you might be down tomorrow. So, a year ago I knew that there would be a day when we got back up to where we belong, and I knew it was going to be this year. There was no doubt in my mind."

Senator Gracchus, in Gladiator said, "I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them, and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate; it's the sand of the coliseum. He'll bring them death -- and they will love him for it."

Remember, fellow seniors, when we return to D.O.S. (that's Dear Old State) who our quarterback was. Remember this Senior Day the same way we remember Larry Johnson's Senior Day when we were freshmen. Believe the Michael Robinson hype.

He has brought not death but wins during his senior season, and the fans, this Penn State mob, will love him for it.