Michael Roberts comments on being drafted by the Detroit Lions
By Zac Snyder
Shortly after being selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Michael Roberts met with the media. Here’s what he had to say.
On the contact he had with the Lions during the pre-draft process: “I had frequent contact with them. I had a workout with them. I talked to Coach Al Golden pretty often. That was pretty much it. I talked to a lot of different teams.”
On what this day means for him and his mother: “It means the world. Since I started my journey it’s always been about my mother and my grandma and supporting them. Even though I don’t get the chance to really support my grandmother, it’s still a dream to support my mother.”
On how he would describe his playing abilities: “It’s very passionate, I play with a lot of passion. This game is my life. I’m very resilient. I get better as the game goes. I never really run out of energy. I just love what I do.”
On the knack he has for getting open on the field: “It comes down to hard work and preparation. I definitely prepare well and I take advantage of each opportunity that I have.”
On what it was like the moment he was drafted: “It was amazing. I think my mom is actually still crying downstairs. It was a long time. It’s something that I worked towards. It’s just great to see it all pay off.”
On when he realized being drafted was a possibility in his future: “To actually play in the NFL, I didn’t play football until ninth grade. I always say when I first got my first offer in high school I kind of realized that I had a talent and if I wanted to achieve and maximize it, I had to work hard. That’s kind of when I started to put my head down and work.”
On what made him an effective red zone weapon at Toledo: “Preparation, again. Me and (Logan) Woodside, the starting quarterback at Toledo, we worked a lot hand-in-hand, together, even alone. It was really just that preparation and like I said, maximizing each and every opportunity that I was given.”
On the story of his younger brother suffering a fatal gunshot wound in 2012: “Cameron Roberts is my little brother that was fatally shot in the stomach. Great kid, I wish people could meet him, but it was an accident. It was a root of an accident, just an accidental shooting. The gun discharged into his stomach and he later passed away at Metro Care.”
On what age he was when his younger brother passed away: “I was 17 at the time and I had just lost my grandmother a couple months before and I would say that that time period was definitely the hardest that I had to deal with in my life to date.”
On how he got through that tough time: “The same way I get through everything. I just put my head down and work. There’s nothing that can prepare you for such events. You know, you just have to – I used that energy, that negative energy and that hurt, but I just kind of directed it in a positive light to not only graduate college, but finish high school.”
On how he pays respect to his brother when he’s on the football field: “I play for so many different people. You know, one thing that you will always hear me say is, ‘It’s hard to not give your all when it’s a lot bigger than you.’ I never play for myself.”
On how old his brother was when he passed away: “10.”
On his role with Lions TE Eric Ebron in Detroit’s offense: “Eric Ebron, I’ve been a fan of Eric Ebron, you know, since he was back in N.C. I’ve watched him closely while he was in college, I watched him while he was in Detroit. You know, great athlete. I’m very excited to work with him.”
On what he knows about Lions QB Matthew Stafford: “Yeah, he’s a gunslinger. He’s a precise quarterback. It’s crazy, I was having this conversation the other day about Matthew Stafford. He’s just a great quarterback and I think he’s really laying the foundation and is just looking to win games.”
On who he had that conversation with about Matthew Stafford: “I had it with friends of mine back home because we were talking about where I could go, where I thought and that just kind of came about because my friend’s favorite team is Detroit.”
On what happened in his brother’s incident: “I’m sorry, you know, I’ll kind of keep that within the family. That’s just a personal thing that I don’t really feel comfortable talking about.”
Next: What to watch for on day three
*All quotes provided by the Detroit Lions.