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Jacob Roberts was cut twice while playing youth football. He failed to make his seventh grade squad. Then, in his freshman year at Mallard Creek High School (NC), Roberts was cut by the junior varsity team.

“I always had an underdog mentality…being cut, that’s my why,” Roberts said. “I always have a chip on my shoulder.”

Roberts didn’t let early adversity define him. Now, in his fourth season of collegiate football, he has transformed into Wake Forest’s leading tackler in 2023. Despite eventually finding a role at Mallard Creek, Roberts had just two Division I offers out of high school. He committed to HBCU North Carolina A&T and played for three seasons there before transferring to WF, where he’s established himself as one of its top linebackers ahead of facing Syracuse Saturday.

When Roberts was 5, his mother, Michele, signed him up for flag football. From the get-go, he was ahead of his peers.

“After the second or third game, he was so advanced that they moved him up to play with the 6 and 7 year olds because he was scoring touchdowns as a running back every time he got the ball,” Michele said.

Once Roberts was 8, he started working with coach Tank Truesdale in the Charlotte Mecklenburg (C-Meck) League. Roberts played in the C-Meck until he was in seventh grade, and Truesdale was key in his progression. Through Roberts’ development, Thomas Lindsay, one of Truesdale’s assistant coaches, noted how much bigger and faster he was than other players in the league.

But Roberts was still cut from his middle school team in seventh grade. He persisted and made the eighth grade squad the following season. Yet, Roberts was cut again as a freshman at Mallard Creek. Despite the obstacles, Roberts remained determined.

“I’ve been through that before in the seventh grade… I always knew I was a high caliber player. I knew I could play with some of the guys on the field,” Roberts said.

Roberts earned a spot on Mallard Creek as a sophomore, seeing time as a tight end. Though Roberts had never played the position before, he embraced the physicality.

“He was strong,” Lindsay said. “When he hit you…it was like a grown man hitting those kids. We sometimes couldn’t even practice with him.”

In his junior year, Roberts got the opportunity to start at linebacker in the North Carolina State playoffs after one of Mallard Creek’s starting linebackers was injured. Roberts helped Mallard Creek win the State Championship game over Wake Forest High School and was named Defensive Player of the Game. The performance also helped him receive his first college offer from North Carolina A&T, which he accepted.

North Carolina A&T afforded Roberts the chance to play instantly. In his freshman season, Roberts earned second-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors.

In 2022, Roberts finished his time with North Carolina A&T strong. As a junior, he started in all 11 of its games and made the second-team All-Big South after tallying two pick-sixes.

Instead of entering the NFL Draft, Roberts put his name in the transfer portal, wanting to use his final year of eligibility with a Power Five program. On Jan. 5, Roberts transferred to Wake Forest.

Through 11 games, Roberts’ 76 tackles lead the Demon Deacons and his 6.0 sacks are second-most on the team. For Truesdale, Roberts’ success hasn’t been a surprise. He felt Roberts could’ve started on Mallard Creek as a freshman and played for various Power Five schools out of high school.

“I can see him on Sunday’s one day,” Truesdale said.

Published on November 25, 2023 at 10:03 am