Deonte Roberts didn’t like football when he first started playing at nine years old. But now, the Brooklyn, N.Y. native and former Rutgers linebacker is on a quest to be selected in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft next spring.
Roberts is currently working on his craft and training and will soon head out to Colorado Springs, CO.
“Right now, I’m just focusing on training and waiting on invites to the NFL Combine and anything like that,” Roberts said in a recent interview with TKR. “That’s about it.”
Roberts will be joined in Colorado by another ex-Rutgers linebacker, Trevor Morris, and other prospects, but not too many as he pointed out.
“It’s not too big or full so I can get some attention from scouts and things like that,” Roberts said.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder has done his research and knows what numbers to hit and what his goals are when it comes to testing at Pro Day in a few months.
“I looked at some numbers from the combine. I definitely want to be on my game and run fast, jump fast, and test well,” he said. “I’m looking to beat those numbers.
“It’s football at the end of the day. It’s more of just making sure you’re good with your footwork in the drills.”
Roberts played from the day one when he joined the Scarlet Knights in 2015. He played in 12 games with one start at linebacker while also being a contributor on special teams as a freshman. Since then, he started the last three seasons at middle linebacker and finished second on the team in tackles each year. He had 95 in 2016, 104 in 2017, and 87 in 2018. He ended up 12th in program history with 297 stops.
One highlight that stands out was his blocked field goal that he returned 64 yards against Kansas in September.
“I would have to say I’m a really instinctive linebacker,” Roberts said about his game. “I played against great competition in the Big Ten and being instinctive and being able to diagnose plays was a great asset. I was always around the ball.
“I think my skills will translate really well to the next level. The level of competition in the NFL is obviously great and getting better and it’s more of a passing league now. Teams are looking for guys who can fly around to the ball every day and on special teams and I can do all of that.”
The Scarlet Knights didn’t do a ton of winning during his tenure, but he sure has lots of great memories on and off the field. His favorite memory on it according to Roberts was the tight 14-12 victory over Purdue at home last season.
“The win over Purdue is probably my favorite memory. It was a back and forth game. It came down to the last few seconds and we got the stop,” Roberts said. “We were able to battle back and bounce back and stick together and prove people wrong and it wasn’t the same old Rutgers. It was a good moment.”
While Roberts was a solid linebacker, his best quality might be his character. Roberts was a two-time captain in junior and senior seasons.
“Being a two-time captain meant a lot to me. You have the respect of your teammates and the locker room. I think that shows that I can handle my business on and off the field and I’m what you look for in a player. It’ll take me far,” Roberts.
The Erasmus Hall product said he hopes to be remembered as a blue collar player who did all of the right things during his time in Piscataway and wants to be one of the reasons why schools go to New York City and recruit.
“I definitely want to be remembered as a guy who came through and worked hard,” Roberts said. “Coming from Brooklyn and having it not be a football city or state in general, I definitely hope to be a household name. It would be nice to know that people recruit Brooklyn because of players like me.”
Unlike some of his other teammates, Roberts didn’t receive an invitation to a showcase bowl game or anything of that nature. Nonetheless, he believes he’s flying under the radar but is still gaining eyes of next level scouts.
“I think I’m a sleeper in the draft," Roberts said. "Scouts are taking notice of me however. It’s cool. I’m fine with being the underdog. Scouts are taking notice but it’s also more motivation for me to go out there and compete.”
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
