Ben Roberts talks growth, new mindset entering this season
One of the main position groups that Texas Tech didn’t target during the offseason was the linebacker group, mainly because they had all four of those players return. Jacob Rodriguez, Ben Roberts, John Curry, and Bryce Ramirez all contributed to the team last year, and this year, all four are predicted to be significant threats for this defense.
Going into his fourth season with the Red Raiders, Roberts has expressed how special this team can be and how playing alongside his teammates in practice has helped him enhance his game. Roberts spoke to the media on Tuesday to discuss his growth during the offseason, his confidence in the team, and more.
Improvements for Roberts
As a starter in each game the past two seasons, Roberts has continued to put up impressive numbers and be a consistent player for Tech’s defense. He’s had 190 total tackles (93) solo over the past two seasons and looks to continue building those numbers after improving his game and putting on another 10 pounds during the offseason.
“I would say the game has slowed down. I feel healthier than I did last year,” Roberts said. “Being able to move the ball better, more confidence in what I’m doing, things like that.”
Along with physical improvements, first-year defensive coordinator Shiel Wood came in and demonstrated exactly what he expects from his players. Specifically for Roberts, gaining confidence was another improvement for the mental side of football.
“He (Wood) knows how he has to act in each moment. He makes sure you know if you got something right or you got something wrong,” Roberts said. “He’s not hammering it into you to where you don’t want to go to meetings and watch film. He’s going to coach me hard on the field, but when we go to meetings, he’s going to make sure I understand what I’m doing. It’s not like ‘Oh you’re stupid for not knowing,’ but ‘hey this is how we fix that.'”
Preparing for Arkansas-Pine Bluff
The first game of the 2024 season is a sore subject for fans, as the Red Raiders barely secured a win against Abilene Christian with a 52-51 victory in overtime. Head coach Joey McGuire mentioned earlier in the week that he would be surprised if his older guys didn’t have the team ready and prepared for Saturday, and Roberts has the same mindset going into the 2025 season opener.
“You’ve got to take each game the same way. I’ve always thought that my whole life,” Roberts said. “Why treat somebody like they’re lesser than or better than? Why don’t we just approach it the exact same way? I think that’s what we’re doing here. We’re going to watch film. We’re going to prepare the same way we would prepare in the Big 12 Championship.”
Excitement and belief in this team
Running onto the field at Jones AT&T Stadium is always special, but this year is different. The entire country has realized that this team can be special, but no one believes it more than Coach McGuire and his players, mainly because they aren’t focusing on the comments and hype that have been circulating throughout the media.
These guys see the talent up close every single day, which makes it easy for them to believe that this could be the team that does something special, and they’re ready to showcase it to the whole country.
“This year is a little bit different. We’ve got new guys running out with us that I’m excited to play with… the whole d-line I’m excited for that. I want to see how long I have to stay in pass coverage for,” Roberts said. “We have an opportunity to make history here, and I think that this is a team that can do it.”
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