Elandon Roberts
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Elandon Roberts (born April 22, 1994) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
. He was drafted by the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in the sixth round of the
2016 NFL Draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. He plays primarily as a
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
on defense, but when injuries during the 2019 season left the Patriots without a
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
on the roster, Roberts began to play that position as well.


Early years

Roberts attended
Memorial High School Memorial High School may refer to: United States As ''Memorial High School'' alone *Memorial High School (Millville, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (West New York, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (St. Marys, Ohio) * Memorial High School (Tul ...
in
Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur is a city in Jefferson County within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Texas. A small, uninhabited portion extends into Orange County; it is east of Houston. The largest oil refinery in the United Sta ...
. He was a member of both the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team and the
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
team.


College career

Roberts played college football for Morgan State as a freshman
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
in 2012. He finished the season with 107 tackles to lead the team and finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) while at
Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...
which competes in the
NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...
. The 107 tackle total marked the second-best single-season effort in program history, and He also had nine tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, and two pass breakups as well. Roberts was named to the All-MEAC second-team in 2012 and finished 11th in the Jerry Rice Award, given to the nation's top freshman on the FCS level. Roberts was also named the MEAC Rookie of the Week three times. After his freshman season, Roberts transferred to play football at
University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
from 2013 - 2015. In 2013, he saw action in eight games as a backup linebacker. As a junior in 2014, Roberts appeared in 12 games as a linebacker and on special teams. As a senior in 2015, Roberts was a team captain and had 142 total tackles which was good enough to lead the American Conference and place him fourth in the nation. However, his 88 solo tackles led all of the FBS.


Professional career

On December 22, 2015, it was announced that Roberts had accepted his invitation to play in the
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game for NFL draft-eligible college players, held annually in January. The event was founded in 2012 by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Players predomi ...
. On January 23, 2016, Roberts recorded one tackle for a four-yard loss during the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and was part of Mike Holmgren's National team that defeated the American team 18–17. On March 24, 2016, He participated at Houston's pro day and had an impressive performance. Multiple scouts stated they were impressed with his power, mobility, and his performance in positional drills supervised by Houston Texans' defensive coordinator
Mike Vrabel Michael George Vrabel (; born August 14, 1975) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned con ...
. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts projected Roberts to be a sixth or seventh round pick with some expecting him to be selected as early as the fourth or fifth round. He was ranked as the tenth best inside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.


New England Patriots

The
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
selected Roberts in the sixth round (214th overall) of the
2016 NFL Draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. Roberts was the 27th linebacker drafted in 2016. On May 7, 2016, the New England Patriots signed Roberts to a four-year, $2.44 million
contract A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
that includes a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $100,356. Throughout training camp, Roberts competed against Kamu Grugier-Hill, Rufus Johnson, Kevin Snyder, and C. J. Johnson for a roster spot as a backup linebacker. Head coach
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
named Roberts the backup middle linebacker to begin the regular season, behind
Dont'a Hightower Qualin Dont'a Hightower (born March 12, 1990) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Alabama, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Hightower was selec ...
. He made his first NFL start on October 16, 2016, against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
and tied for second highest tackles on the team with seven in the win. In Week 16 against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, Roberts led the team with 11 tackles including a forced fumble recovered by Malcolm Butler. On February 5, 2017, Roberts was part of the Patriots team that won
Super Bowl LI Super Bowl LI was an American football game played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Houston, Texas, on February 5, 2017, to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2016 NFL season, 2016 season. The American Football Confer ...
. In the game, he recorded two tackles as the Patriots defeated the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
by a score of 34–28 in overtime. The Patriots trailed 28–3 in the third quarter, but rallied all the way back to win the game which featured the first overtime game in Super Bowl history and the largest comeback in the Super Bowl. Roberts entered the 2017 season as one of the Patriots' starting linebackers. He recorded his first two career sacks in a Week 12 win over the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Overall, in the 2017 season, he recorded 67 total tackles, two sacks, one pass defended, and one fumble recovery. Roberts helped the Patriots reach
Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...
, but lost 41–33 to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
with him recording six tackles in the game. In 2018, Roberts played all 16 games and started in 11. The Patriots finished the season 11–5 and Roberts recorded 65 tackles, one sack, and four passes defended on the season. The Patriots reached
Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
after defeating both the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
and
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
in the playoffs. In the Super Bowl, Roberts recorded one tackle in the team's 13–3 victory against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. In 2019, Roberts was voted a team defensive captain for the first time, replacing
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
Patrick Chung Patrick Christopher Chung (born August 19, 1987) is a Jamaican-American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Oregon and wa ...
. He was a member of the team's high-performing linebacker corps, dubbed "The Boogeymen" by teammate
Dont'a Hightower Qualin Dont'a Hightower (born March 12, 1990) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Alabama, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Hightower was selec ...
. Starting in Week 7, he began to play on offense as well as defense, where he was primarily used as a
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
after injuries to teammates
James Develin James Rittenhouse Develin, Jr. (born July 23, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback. He played college football for Brown University as a defensive end. He was originally signed as an undrafted free age ...
and
Jakob Johnson Jakob Elijah Johnson ( ; born 15 December 1994) is a German professional American football fullback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and signed with the New England Patriot ...
. Roberts finished the season with 29 tackles, a sack, a pass defense, and a tackle for loss. Roberts scored his first career touchdown against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
on December 29, 2019, when he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
during the 27–24 loss.


Miami Dolphins

On March 24, 2020, the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
signed Roberts to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a $1 million signing bonus. The signing reunited Roberts with Dolphins' head coach
Brian Flores Brian Francisco Flores (born February 24, 1981) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he serve ...
, who had previously been the linebackers coach for the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Roberts was also reunited with former Patriots linebackers
Kyle Van Noy Kyle Van Noy (born March 26, 1991) is an American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). Van Noy played college football at BYU was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Detroi ...
and Kamu Grugier-Hill. He was named a starting inside linebacker alongside Jerome Baker. On December 31, 2020, Roberts was placed on injured reserve. He played in 13 games with 11 starts, recording 61 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Roberts re-signed with the Dolphins on March 24, 2021. He was named a starting linebacker in 2021, playing in all 17 games with 15 starts, recording a career-high 83 tackles, one sack, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and an interception. On March 18, 2022, Roberts re-signed with the Dolphins.


Personal life

Roberts has three siblings. His older brother, Eli Roberts, graduated from
Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and ...
with a major in Criminal Justice. His older sister, Elexsia Roberts, graduated from
Wiley College Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...
in Education. Younger sister Elondria Roberts is a current student at
Lamar University Lamar University (Lamar or LU) is a public university in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar has been a member of the Texas State University System since 1995. It was the flagship institution of the former Lamar University System. As of the fall of 2021, th ...
in Beaumont. His cousin Jermire played football at
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
and his cousin Calvin played football at
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...
.


References


External links


Miami Dolphins bioNew England Patriots bioMorgan State Bears bioElandon Roberts NFL Draft Prospect Analysis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Elandon 1994 births Living people American football linebackers Houston Cougars football players Miami Dolphins players Morgan State Bears football players New England Patriots players Place of birth missing (living people) Players of American football from Texas Sportspeople from Port Arthur, Texas Memorial High School (Hedwig Village, Texas) alumni Ed Block Courage Award recipients