Father Figure : Garfield High football players mourn the death of Coach Steve Robinson. The 51-year-old teacher treated the youths like family.

After receiving his first college recruiting letter Jan. 15, junior running back Armando Figueroa excitedly ran to the house of his football coach, Steve Robinson of Garfield High, to share the good news.

“It was a letter from USC,” said Figueroa, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his first two seasons. “I was so happy and I wanted to show it to him.

“I was knocking for at least 20 minutes. The lights were on. I could hear the television. His truck was there. He had to be home. I finally left the letter in his mailbox.”

Robinson, 51, who lived alone, had died of a heart attack the previous night, according to Dr. Jose Martinez, his personal physician. Robinson’s body was not found until Tuesday.

Robinson devoted his life to football, and his players were his family. He worked as a teacher and a football coach at Garfield for most of the last 20 years, including the last seven as head coach. He was head football coach at East Los Angeles College in 1984.

“Steve had a strong relationship with the players,” said Ted Davis, a former Garfield teacher who is now the announcer for the school’s football games. “He always pushed kids to try harder and to go on to college. He would tell them that when they were finished with college to come back and help the community.”

Figueroa, who lives with his sister, considered Robinson his father.

“I cried when I heard the news,” said Figueroa, who has known Robinson since he was 11. “I never had a father in my life. I always looked up to him.

“He would call me at home and ask me what I’m doing and see if I was doing my homework. He would take me out to lunch or dinner. I always spent time with him.”

Ray Mellado, a neighbor and assistant coach at Garfield said Robinson had a message that he would recite before every game: “The three most important things in life are: One, family--be proud of where you came from; two, school--you have to get a good education; and three, football. That has to be your creed in life if you’re going to be a winner.”

Robinson was born June 9, 1941, in Ogden, Utah, and moved to Los Angeles when he was 2. He grew up in Pico Rivera and graduated from El Rancho High School in 1959.

After earning his teaching credential at Cal State Long Beach, Robinson taught in elementary schools in East Los Angeles.

In 1985, Robinson founded the James A. Garfield Century Club, which gives eight to 12 scholarships annually to athletes from East Los Angeles schools. The foundation has awarded more than 30 scholarships worth more than $45,000, Mellado said. “He read in the National Science Foundation that 75% of the minorities that enter college drop out after the first year,” he said. “He wanted to find a way to help them.”

“He was always very organized,” said his mother, Eulalia Vanik. “He never left his toys around. Ever since he was a little boy, he wanted to be a teacher.”

Robinson was married once, but divorced after less than a year. He treated his five nieces like his own children, according to his mother, and always showed great patience.

“I remember a time his nieces were getting in his hair,” Vanik said. “He would show them an ant hill and tell them to come back in a half-hour. He would then ask them what they had learned.”

Although he treated his players like friends, Robinson knew how to change roles on the football field.

“He taught us discipline on and off the football field,” Garfield lineman Eddie Pasillas said. “He taught us to be tough and to never give up.”

Pasillas, 17, had arranged for Robinson to give him a ride to the City Times All-Star Football breakfast last Sunday at the University Hilton. He was surprised when Robinson did not show up.

“I knew something was wrong,” Pasillas said. “He was never late. If he says he is going to do something, he would do it.”

When Robinson was not with his players, he would entertain friends at Rickie’s Take Ten bar in East Los Angeles.

“I never brought out my wallet when I was with Coach,” Garfield assistant coach John Aguirre said. “He was always very generous. He would like to sit and talk about football. There was nothing he enjoyed better than talking football.”

The Bulldogs, who compiled an 8-5 record en route to the City Section Division 4-A semifinals in 1992, plan to dedicate their next season to Robinson.

Services for Robinson were to have been Saturday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Los Angeles and burial at Rose Hills Memorial Park. Robinson is survived by Vanik, his sister, Rene Kirk, and five nieces.