TicketsAug. 31, 2005
by Becky Hart, Sports Communications Student
Nothing stays the same for long, and senior defensive end Adam Roberts wouldn't want it any other way. Since being introduced to organized football for the first time as a freshman at Midwood High in New York, Roberts has been changing positions, changing conferences, and changing his life.
"In high school I got interested in football," he said. "I came in kind of skinny and started as a cornerback and wide receiver. I stayed at that position until my senior year and I became a linebacker and tight end."
Having only played football previously with friends at the park and lacking the 6-3, 257- pound physique that he has today, Roberts played against more experienced and bigger athletes in high school. That didn't keep him from achieving success however. He concluded his career at Midwood with a school-record 139 tackles while being named to the Big 44 team by the New York Daily News. Following his high school career, Roberts attended Milford Academy. At the prep school, he again changed positions, playing linebacker one season and defensive end the next.
This adaptability has proven to be helpful throughout his collegiate career as well. Roberts will be playing defensive end for the Bearcats this season despite being a defensive tackle for much of the previous two seasons. As a freshman, he made appearances in every game, primarily as a backup, and surpassed his goal as a first-year player. "My first goal was to get on the field and play because a lot of freshmen don't get a chance to play," said Roberts.
His most memorable chance came when the team played rival Ohio State in the game that drew more than 66,000 fans to Paul Brown Stadium, the largest in Cincinnati Bearcats history. Although the Bearcats lost, Roberts knows that it "was a very good game to be a part of. That really set the tone for me when it comes to college football. That game was a packed house at Paul Brown Stadium and something I'd never experienced before."
Roberts has made huge strides since the beginning of his collegiate football career. He recorded 16 tackles as a freshman, then 40 as a sophomore playing backup for all-conference defensive end Trent Cole. He also posted his career high in tackles with nine against Rhode Island in 2003. Now in his return to defensive end this season, he can pick up where he left off two seasons ago, this time as the leader.
Roberts is the team's veteran this year, especially on defense. This wasn't always the case however. In addition to just wanting to earn playing time as a freshman, Roberts spent his first few seasons trying to soak up as much information as he could from the more experienced teammates he backed up. Roberts looked to players like Cole, Antwan Peek, Andre Frazier and Derrick Adams to mentor him on the finer points of his position and the game. His teammates' willingness to lead him is part of what made Roberts choose the University of Cincinnati over other major Division I schools. "I met some of the older guys who really took me under their wing and treated me as one of their own already. I just felt like a family was here."
But now he is the leader taking younger players under his wing. The Bearcats have only 11 returning seniors and Roberts is the lone returning starter on the defensive line. Having to lead such a young team might seem daunting for some players, but Roberts sees this year as his time to shine as a mentor. "I really see myself as a leader because guys haven't played yet and they need someone to look to who's been out there in the games before. I try to give that to them as much as I can."
Bearcat defensive line coach Ted Gill agrees with what Roberts can bring to the team. "What Adam brings to us is leadership. He gives us a person who has been in situations where he knows exactly what we want him to do and he carries that on to the rest of the team. He's a good player with good instincts and good knowledge of the game. Those types of things that he has, he is able to give to our younger players. All of that combined is what boils down to leadership."
Roberts also says there is no reason to worry about his team's youth. "I think winners are going to win no matter what. If we have a team full of winners, we're going to win. Once a couple games get under our belts, there'll be no more rookies out there and everyone will be ready."
With the move to the BIG EAST Conference, Cincinnati will have to work hard to get those games under their belts successfully. The Bearcats, who have the 12th most difficult schedule in the country, open conference play on October 8 at Pittsburgh. Roberts is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the new conference will bring. He believes that the change "is going to improve our attendance greatly" because of the major football programs that will come to Cincinnati due to the new league. Roberts is excited about the possibility of more fans coming to games. "I'm a guy who likes to play in front of a lot of people. I like a crowd there," he said. "With the attendance rise, I think our play will step up also because we have a lot of people watching now."
However, the team is taking it "one game at a time," said Roberts. "We're preparing for Eastern Michigan and we're going to try to beat them right now." That doesn't mean that they aren't thinking ahead. "Our long term goal definitely has to be to play in a BCS bowl game. We're playing to win."
Roberts is working for more than just a win on the football field too. He will graduate this year with a degree in communication. "My number one goal is to get my diploma," he said. "After that I'll be able to move on to bigger and better things when it comes to education."
He chose that area of study because of its practical use in everyday life, both on and off the field. "I like learning why people do things and why they communicate as they do." His choice of major also helps when working with coaches and teammates because it allows him to "go into a situation planning a strategy for how you're going to get what you want accomplished."
After graduation, he plans on pursuing his master's degree in communication, although the NFL has become a possibility within the past few months. Roberts has recently been rated as a "draftable player," and admits that the NFL is on his mind. However, he says he'll take it game by game and that he always has education as an option.
Roberts, like many of his teammates past and present, credits his advisors with his academic success. While the team graduated 72% of its players in 2003, that number rose to 86% in 2004. "Our academic staff does a really good job with us. We have study tables and they make sure our grades are always on par. We have a lot of good people to work with us."
While Roberts has looked to coaches and teammates for leadership on the field and academic advisors for guidance in the classroom, he looks to his mother, Delia, for mentoring in life. When Roberts suffered an ankle injury early in pre-season camp, he took advice and encouragement from the woman he considers the most influential person in his life. "She said, `Take things in stride. Right now you can't practice, so work on something else until your ankle gets better and you can get back on the field. Keep striving to be great.' She always told me, `Good things happen to those who work hard while they wait.' That's a quote I like to live by."
Although Roberts prefers to keep his personal goals for the season private, he's not shy about explaining why he'll never quite be completely satisfied with where he is in his life. "I believe you can't really get too settled on what you do. You've always got to try to get better. Right now I think I'm on point for where I want to be but I'm always trying to get better and get to the next step and the next level."