ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Denard Robinson was known by a relative few outside of Florida when he arrived in Ann Arbor three years ago.

Now, it would be difficult to find a sports fan who doesn’t recognize Michigan’s star quarterback, and many — including President Barack Obama and LeBron James — count themselves as fans of the electric athlete with an infectious smile, flowing dreadlocks and untied cleats.

And now, Shoelace is a senior.

Robinson has captivated the masses as one of college football’s most exciting players for three years now, using sprinter’s speed and running back-like vision to break records and rivet viewers. Along the way, he has gotten more comfortable as a leader.

Robinson spoke on behalf of Big Ten players at the conference’s kickoff luncheon this summer, and he cracked at least one joke at Michigan’s media day when comparing his speed to the fastest person on the planet.

“I think I’d get Usain Bolt in a 40-yard dash,” Robinson said with a grin. “I watched his start. I think I’d get him.”

Obama gave Robinson a shout-out from in front of a crowd last winter when he visited Ann Arbor and granted him a one-on-one audience for a couple of minutes.

“I talked to him and got a picture with him,” Robinson recalled. “He told me that we should be a team to be reckoned with. We’ve got to make the most of it.”

Robinson didn’t, or didn’t want to, understand, why so many people wanted to talk to him two years ago as a sophomore when he became the first NCAA player to pass for 2,500 yards and run for 1,500 in a season. He said back then that he didn’t have cable, making it easy to avoid watching highlights of himself on ESPN, and shunned social networking for a while. Eventually, Robinson joined his teammates on Twitter and learned a lesson when someone else posted messages.

“Even when my Twitter account was hacked — front-page news — I turned it into a positive,” he said.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke has stressed the importance of Robinson becoming more of a leader on and off the field, when no one is watching and in front of reporters.

A bit reluctantly, Robinson has done it.

“I get a little comfortable with it, but still I would rather be behind the scenes and be with my teammates,” he said. “I would personally rather just be hanging out with the fellas.”

Robinson regards himself as just one of the guys, not a big man on campus, keeping the humble ways he had growing up with six brothers and one sister in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

“He doesn’t ever big-time anybody,” teammate Taylor Lewan said. “He’s really become a huge leader with his words and actions. Every time I come in, he’s here working on his steps and timing with the receivers. If he’s not doing that, he’s watching film. If he’s not doing that, he’s encouraging teammates to do the right thing.”