STATE COLLEGE— Michael Robinson has the thick neck and shoulders of a bruising running back, tattooed arms and legs that give him the intimidating look of a hard-hitting safety, and the ability to make open-field plays that might make a receivers coach drool.

The quarterback who led Penn State back to prominence last season knows NFL teams aren't looking at him solely as a signal-caller, and he's prepared to play anywhere on the field.

"There's a misconception that I just want to play quarterback, but I'm not limiting myself to that," Robinson said as he strolled past a large photo hanging in Penn State's spacious football building.

The picture? Robinson, in stride, ball tucked under his arm running toward the end zone without a defender in sight and his burly offensive linemen trailing behind.

"I just want to play. I'm a football player first," Robinson said. "I want to play any way I possibly can."

Just like in college.

Robinson's story might sound familiar. Most recently, Antwaan Randel El, a run-pass QB at Indiana, helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl while playing wide receiver. Drew Bennett is the top receiver for the Titans after playing some quarterback at UCLA.

Robinson had to wait until his final year at Penn State after having been shuttled all over the field by coach Joe Paterno during his first three seasons.

Paterno has called Robinson one of the best players in his 40-plus seasons as Penn State's head coach.