USF Athletics

Game 10 Player Spotlight: Nick Roberts

November 15, 2019

NEXT GAME: USF (4-5, 2-3) vs. No. 17 Cincinnati (8-1, 5-0)
DAY/TIME: Saturday/7 p.m.
LOCATION: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
TV/RADIO: CBS Sports Network/USF Radio Network: Over the Air: WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM & Digital: Bulls Unlimited
SERIES: Cincinnati leads, 9-7; Bulls lead, 5-3, in Tampa
PURCHASE TICKETS: USFBullsTix.com
GAME NOTES: USF  (PDF)
 
 
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, NOV. 15, 2019 – USF's defense has made great strides in numerous stat departments this season while Nick Roberts is definitely holding up his end of the deal on and off the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, the starting sophomore safety from Jacksonville, Fla., is the Bulls' second-highest graded secondary player heading into Saturday's Salute to Service game against No. 17 Cincinnati on Saturday night.

"This year, I feel like I'm doing better than I did last year, just because I feel like I've improved in tackling, the way I tackle, how I read formations and how I'm being a general out there on the field," Roberts said. "I play way faster than I did last year, I think that's the big difference right now."

Roberts' playing grade of 75.2 by PFF ranks him among the top 50 safeties in the nation and his total is 11 points higher than last season. Grades are an evaluation of an individual's performance and how efficiently he makes plays during his time on the field.

"We've been very, very happy with the production, some of the things he's done so far," defensive coordinator Brian Jean-Mary said.

Through nine games, Roberts is tied for second on the team in tackles (51, 3.0 TFLs) and has a share of the Bulls' interception lead with two in addition to his highlight-reel forced fumble at Georgia Tech. Roberts' aggressive play has helped USF rank third nationally in takeaways (21) and tackles for loss (9.0 per game), fourth in fumbles recovered (11) and 20^th in interceptions (10).

"I'm proud of myself," he said. "I know I'm getting better every year, so that's what I'm focused on."

Another priority for Roberts is making everyone around him on USF's mostly young roster better.

"I know he's just a redshirt sophomore, but at the end of the day he's played a lot of snaps here and he's a guy we look to, even in a leadership role right now, too," Jean-Mary said.

With 22 games of college experience (20 starts), the game has slowed down for Roberts, which has allowed him to show less-seasoned Bulls the way in a very fast-paced sport.

"I know a lot of the DBs in the room look up to me. Even linebackers and D-line, I feel they look up to me because they respect who makes plays," Roberts said. "I make sure I have all the young DBs right, making sure they're in the right spot at the right time, knowing the plays. I think I just lead by a good example."

Roberts' Path to USF, Safety
Before becoming an all-state defender at Oakleaf High School, Roberts was a very athletic player who had a goal of being the first in his family to make it to college.

Defense was something he tried out a bit as a youngster, but running back and receiver were positions Roberts thought he could be primed to play once he got to high school. That was until Oakleaf's former defensive backs coach saw Roberts' skills during the summer before his freshman season.

"He said, 'I can get you to a big-time school if you come play defense,'" Roberts remembered. "… At first, I was a little shady about it because I wanted to play offense so bad, but I just trusted his word and I moved to DB. I knew what I wanted to do was go to college."

Oakleaf still utilized Roberts' skills as a receiver and wildcat quarterback at times, but his main position was cornerback and his progression at the position was gradual.

"I had to get better each year," he said.

By the end of his senior year, Roberts was a Class 7A all-state first team standout who had prep career stats that caught college teams' attention - 17 interceptions, 21 pass breakups and 136 tackles. USF came calling and Roberts was ready to make a difference at the next level.

"I just wanted to make a name out of this school," he said.

Before signing with the Bulls, Roberts also developed into a dedicated student. Just like he followed valuable advice about becoming a defensive back, Roberts made schoolwork a priority and earned a spot on the high school honor roll.

 "They told me colleges will look throughout my freshman year to my senior year," he said. "That's when it started being serious for me."

Once he arrived at USF, Roberts continued his trend of getting good grades while learning the ropes of college football during his redshirt year in 2017. Cornerback was Roberts' initial spot in the early part of his redshirt freshman season, but injuries opened up an opportunity at safety that he seized.

Starting the final 11 games of 2018, Roberts went on to lead the Bulls with three interceptions and rank fourth on the team with 72 tackles (52 solo). Now shining in his second season, Roberts won't forget about his successful move to defense in high school, which made his college dreams come true.

"Even to this day, I still think about it," he said.

Aside from football, Roberts continues to make his family super proud by getting closer and closer to that historic, first college degree. Majoring in integrated public relations and advertising, Roberts is on pace to graduate in three-and-a-half years (fall 2020).

"It means a lot to me," said the member of the 2017-18 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. "It's a big accomplishment for me because I'm the first one. Everybody is depending on me."

Although he's hopeful of a pro career in football, Roberts is pondering a future as an entrepreneur or real estate agent once he hangs up the pads. Making sure he sets himself up for success, Roberts is currently participating in USF's very beneficial Selmon Mentoring Institute program.

"I can do anything if I put my mind to it," he said.
 
ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
Having completed just its 22^nd season of football, and 19^th at the FBS level, the USF football program has earned 10 bowl appearances, including a current run of four straight, and owns a record of 6-3 in bowl games. The Bulls have appeared in the national top 25 rankings in each of the past three seasons, including a program record run of 20 straight weeks in the top 25, and in 2018 reached the program's 150^th win faster than any FBS program in state of Florida history. USF has posted a pair of 10-plus win seasons in the last three years, including a program-record 11 wins (11-2) in 2016, and logged 15 winning seasons overall. Since first taking the field in 1997, the USF program has reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings (2007), seen 30 players selected in the NFL Draft, 14 named All-American and 29 earn first-team all-conference selection.
 
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