Bijan Robinson Parents: Who Are His Mom LaMore Sauls and Grandparents Cleo and Gerri Robinson?

Bijan Robinson’s rise from a football-obsessed child in Tucson to one of the NFL’s best-known running backs has always been closely connected to his family. The Atlanta Falcons star was raised primarily by his mother, LaMore Sauls, and his maternal grandparents, Cleo and Gerri Robinson, who provided the stable home and support system that shaped both his personality and his football career.

There is relatively little verified public information about Bijan Robinson’s biological father. Instead, Robinson has openly spoken about his grandfather Cleo as the main father figure in his life. He grew up calling Cleo “Dad,” while his grandmother Gerri also took on a parental role alongside his mother. It created an unusual but very close family structure, one that Robinson continues to credit for helping him reach professional football.

Who Are Bijan Robinson’s Parents?

Bijan Robinson was born in Tucson, Arizona, on January 30, 2002. His mother is LaMore Sauls, who became a mother while she was still attending college.

Rather than trying to handle everything alone, LaMore had strong support from her parents, Cleo and Gerri Robinson. Bijan spent much of his childhood living in his grandparents’ Tucson home alongside his mother and other relatives.

Verified details about Bijan’s biological father have remained largely private. Robinson’s public family story instead centers on LaMore and his grandparents, particularly Cleo, who became the strongest father figure in his childhood.

When LaMore later married and moved from her parents’ home, Bijan wanted to stay with Cleo and Gerri. His mother ultimately allowed him to remain there, while continuing to be closely involved in his upbringing.

It is one reason the word “parents” has a slightly different meaning when talking about Bijan Robinson. He was raised by more than one generation at the same time. His mother remained an important influence, while his grandparents handled much of the day-to-day parenting that shaped his childhood.

Meet Bijan Robinson’s Mom LaMore Sauls

LaMore Sauls has been present throughout Bijan’s journey, from his earliest days playing football to the moment he became an NFL first-round draft pick.

She has recalled that her son’s NFL dream started remarkably early. Football was not simply an activity he discovered during high school. He was fascinated by it as a young child and constantly found ways to make the sport part of daily life.

During a family interview ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, LaMore remembered one of Bijan’s earliest games. He got the football and ran in the wrong direction because he did not fully understand the rules yet.

It became a funny family memory because the mistake certainly did not last long. Bijan quickly learned the game and, as his mother joked, essentially never stopped running afterward.

LaMore also watched her son turn his childhood imagination into something much more serious.

Football pictures, game programs and player images became part of young Bijan’s world. He studied players rather than simply watching games casually. His interest eventually developed into training, competition and a genuine belief that the NFL could someday be possible.

When Robinson entered the NFL Draft in 2023, his family traveled to Kansas City to experience the moment with him. The Atlanta Falcons selected him with the eighth overall pick, making one of his earliest childhood goals a reality.

For LaMore, it was the end of one journey but also the beginning of a completely new one.

Cleo Robinson Became Bijan’s Father Figure

Few people appear to have influenced Bijan Robinson more deeply than his grandfather Cleo Robinson.

Bijan has referred to Cleo as “Dad,” which says plenty about their relationship. Cleo was not simply a grandfather who occasionally attended games. He was involved in Bijan’s everyday upbringing, football education and personal development.

Football was already part of Cleo’s own life long before Bijan was born.

Cleo was an athlete himself in his younger years and later became a longtime football official. University of Texas records state that he worked high school and college sports before serving in the Pac-10 and Big Sky Conference and later becoming a Pac-12 instant replay official.

That meant football naturally surrounded Bijan at home.

When Cleo returned from officiating trips, he sometimes brought game programs home for his grandson. Bijan would cut out pictures of players and use them to create his own imaginary football games.

The house effectively became his first football classroom.

Young Bijan also loved throwing footballs indoors, sometimes at the expense of family belongings. His grandmother later kept pieces of items damaged during those childhood football sessions as a reminder of how obsessed he had always been with the game.

How Cleo Helped Develop Bijan’s Love of Football

Cleo did more than introduce Bijan to football. He helped him understand the work needed to become good at it.

Bijan began playing flag football when he was around five years old. His natural athletic ability became noticeable quickly, but Cleo did not allow talent alone to become the focus.

The two worked together regularly.

Cleo sometimes took Bijan through drills after practice and pointed out areas that needed improvement. The grandfather who spent years studying games as an official could see football differently than an ordinary spectator.

That knowledge gave Bijan an unusual education from a young age.

There was even a period when Cleo wondered whether his grandson should play quarterback rather than running back. Bijan eventually remained committed to carrying the football, a decision that clearly worked out.

Their relationship was about more than sport, though.

People around Robinson have repeatedly described Cleo’s influence on his temperament, discipline and approach to life. Bijan even developed some of his grandfather’s mannerisms, according to family accounts.

The player NFL fans see today was shaped not only by coaches and training programs but by years spent beside the man he considered his dad.

Bijan Robinson’s Grandmother Gerri Was Another Parent at Home

Bijan’s grandmother is Gerri Robinson, also identified in some reports by her full name, Geraldine.

Some older online biographies incorrectly refer to her as “Terri,” but established reporting and family profiles identify her as Gerri Robinson.

Like Cleo, Gerri played a central role in raising Bijan.

The closeness was strong enough that Robinson viewed his grandparents in parental terms rather than simply as extended family.

Gerri witnessed his football obsession firsthand. She saw him throwing balls around the house, pretending to play games and constantly trying to recreate what he had watched on television.

Those childhood moments probably looked ordinary at the time. Looking back, they feel almost like an early preview of where his life was heading.

One particularly meaningful family story dates back to Bijan’s birth. His personal biography recounts that he temporarily stopped breathing shortly after he was born and that his grandmother was beside him during the frightening moment. His family has since connected that experience with their faith and their belief that Bijan’s life has a larger purpose.

Athletic Talent Runs Through Bijan Robinson’s Family

Bijan’s athletic background extends beyond his grandfather.

Cleo’s brother, Paul Robinson, also had an impressive football career. Paul played running back professionally after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1968 draft.

He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a rookie and became a two-time Pro Bowl selection during an NFL career that included time with Cincinnati and the Houston Oilers.

That means Bijan grew up around people who understood high-level athletics from several different perspectives.

Cleo knew football through playing and officiating. Paul knew what it meant to perform as a professional running back.

For a child already fascinated by the NFL, having that knowledge inside the family made football feel less distant.

Still, Bijan’s success was not treated as something automatically guaranteed by his bloodline. His family emphasized discipline, character and staying grounded even as his reputation grew during his high school years.

From Tucson to the University of Texas

Bijan attended Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson and developed into one of America’s most highly regarded running back prospects.

He then chose the University of Texas, where his national profile grew rapidly.

Across three seasons with the Longhorns, Robinson established himself among college football’s leading running backs. His final college season brought major recognition, including the Doak Walker Award and unanimous All-American honors.

Throughout that rise, his family remained closely connected to the journey.

Cleo’s background in football meant he could understand what Bijan was experiencing on the field. LaMore and Gerri provided the emotional foundation away from it.

Robinson has repeatedly connected his achievements with the support system around him rather than portraying his success as an individual accomplishment.

His Family Was There for the NFL Draft Dream

The 2023 NFL Draft represented one of the biggest moments in the Robinson family’s story.

For years, LaMore had heard Bijan say he wanted to become an NFL player. Cleo had watched him turn living rooms into imaginary football fields. Gerri had seen the broken household items caused by footballs flying through the house.

Suddenly, the childhood dream became real.

Atlanta used the eighth overall selection on Robinson, an unusually high draft position for a modern running back.

The selection officially took Bijan from college star to professional athlete, but his family’s reaction showed how shared the achievement really was.

It represented years of rides to practices, family sacrifices, drills with his grandfather, encouragement from his mother and countless hours devoted to a sport he had loved almost from the beginning.

Bijan Robinson’s Family Remains Central to His Story

When people search for Bijan Robinson’s parents, the answer is not as simple as naming a mother and father.

His mother, LaMore Sauls, raised him with the help of her parents, Cleo and Gerri Robinson. His biological father’s identity and role have largely remained outside the public story, while Cleo became the father figure Bijan openly called “Dad.”

That family arrangement gave Robinson something he has continued to carry into his professional career: stability.

Cleo introduced him to football and taught him details of the game. Gerri gave him another strong parental presence at home. LaMore supported a dream that started when her son was still young enough to run the wrong direction with the football.

Years later, he is running for the Atlanta Falcons.

The surroundings are very different now, but the people who helped start the journey remain an important part of what made Bijan Robinson the player and person he became.