Ben Roberts talks success on the defensive side
As the Red Raiders’ defense stands out this season, not many players command more attention than linebacker Ben Roberts. A former safety turned tackling machine, Roberts has quickly become the backbone of the Red Raiders’ defense. After setting a program freshman record with 107 tackles in 2023 and earning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, he now credits his growth to the strong bond within Texas Tech’s linebacker room, a group he says pushes each other every day.
“The biggest thing that I think helps is all three of us are pretty close going and just being in the linebacker room already, so we know how to communicate with each other.”
Roberts continues on and talks about the importance of John Curry and his hybrid position of star and how that has helped both Roberts and veteran Jacob Rodriguez.
The importance of fundamentals
Roberts pointed to the daily routines and the example set by veteran teammates as a key part of his development.
“Before practice we have a takeaway circuit, and we just practice taking the ball away. Then you watch Jacob Rodriguez do it all the time so it’s like “I might as well do it too”.”
How Ben Roberts focuses on the moment
For Roberts, the formula for success isn’t about overcomplicating things, but about doubling down on what has made Texas Tech’s defense effective all season. He highlighted the importance of mindset, physicality, and trust within the unit.
“Just preparing as we head into that game, continuing to do what we’re doing by playing aggressive and physical. Communication is important and I think if we can do that then we will be successful.”
It’s not about stats for Ben Roberts
Roberts isn’t caught up in chasing personal numbers or stat lines. For him, the focus stays on the team’s identity and the bigger picture of winning football games.
“I mean it’s nice, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s stopping us from playing the way that we play, but everybody is playing the way that we’ve always played.
“So yeah, we’re not all getting the same stats but that doesn’t matter. At the end of the day the win matters and if everybody is playing hard then I’m loving it.”
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