Staying healthy big key for Southern senior WR Roberts

• By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Aug 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Everything is coming together for Southern University wide receiver Del Roberts.

He enters his senior season as the veteran leader among the wideouts. He’s on course to graduate in psychology in December and then pursue his master’s, likely at SU, as he seeks his goal of becoming an occupational therapist. And he’s got a team that can — if he and others play up to their potential — make a run for the Southwestern Athletic Conference title.

A December with a diploma and a SWAC championship run looks like the perfect way to finish to Roberts.

“It’s something special,” Roberts said of his view of his senior year. “I’ve been playing football all my life. To say I graduated and be able to try to win a championship in my last year going out is a big deal. I’m just trying to do anything I can to help this team and this unit be the best it can be.”

Roberts plays the “Y” position among the receivers and not the “X” designation, but he’s long been the “X” factor to the offense.

A preseason All-SWAC first-team selection, Roberts usually lines up inside, just off the main body of linemen, and then bolts off the line to blend quickness and shiftiness to work intermediary routes, finding seams in defenses. And once he catches the ball, Roberts is dangerous and difficult to run down in space.

There will be times this year, though, that Roberts will move to the “Z” spot in two-receiver sets and could line up as the only receiver in other sets.

“I’m trying to use what he has,” wide receivers coach Eric Dooley said. “He has a lot of skills. He worked hard this summer. Now I’m going to put it on display.”

Roberts’ role expansion extends beyond the Xs and Os.

Roberts and junior Juamorris Stewart (237 yards and one TD) are the only receivers who caught a ball in a game last season. The Jaguars lost more than just a big play-maker in Gerard Landry, they also lost an emotional, vocal presence whose words or defensive-back punishing plays could fire up the entire team.

“We have a few guys who have been around but just don’t have game experience,” Dooley said. “He can nurture those guys through by becoming more of a leader, because he’s been there and done that before.”

Roberts said he’ll share the role with Stewart. Plus, he said, so many of his receiver mates are veteran enough, they just haven’t had the game experience.

“I guess, you can look at it like it’s a lot on my shoulders, but I don’t take it like that,” Roberts said. “Us, as a unit, have all been in this system. We all do a good job of helping each other, picking each other up. Everybody does their part.”