Described as a “self-made man” at UH, Elandon Roberts has transformed into NFL material.
Early this month, Elandon Roberts’ cellphone went silent — not what you want this time of year leading up to the NFL draft.
“Nothing,” the University of Houston linebacker said this week. “It was quiet.”
Was he worried?
“I just kept myself busy not thinking about it,” he said.
But his phone has been buzzing this week with “rapid calls” from interested teams in advance of the draft, which is Thursday through Saturday in Chicago. Roberts has heard his name mentioned anywhere from late second day to early on the final day. A mock draft on NFL.com has Roberts going in the seventh (and final) round.
Roberts took an official visit to the Cardinals and had meetings with three other teams during the process. The Bills, Cardinals, Chargers, Jets, Packers, Raiders, Ravens and Steelers have reportedly shown interest.
“Teams that I never knew I was on their radar are calling and saying, ‘Man, we’re hoping we get you. You’re one of our top prospects,’ ” he said. “It’s a nice feeling to know you are wanted out there.”
That reaction sums up the past year for Roberts (6-0, 235), a defensive captain who has come out of nowhere following a standout senior season and strong performance at UH’s pro day.
Long before then, UH coach Tom Herman said Roberts put himself in position to be drafted with a “self-made” transformation heading into his final year.
“He’s not even close … he wasn’t even the same player in training camp that he was in spring ball,” Herman said. “In spring ball, he was just a stiff guy that we were hoping one of the young signees could come in and replace. He’s a self-made man.
“He lived in those four months from spring practice to August in the training room, weight room, stretching, mobility, treatment, yoga, you name it. He came out in training camp as a different guy.” Solo artist
After waiting his turn for two years, Roberts had one of the most productive seasons in school history, registering 142 tackles — including a nation-best 88 solo — with six sacks, 19 tackles for loss, one interception and two forced fumbles.
Roberts credits UH defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and Yancy McKnight, director for sports performance, for his development.
In a meeting shortly after the new UH staff was hired, Roberts said he asked Orlando one simple question: “What do I need to do to make my dreams (of playing in the NFL) come true?”
“Coach Orlando told me what to do and I never looked back,” Roberts said. “He told me to go hard all the time and make the plays that people are like, ‘Wow, how did he make that play?’ You have to be that guy that can take over the whole game.”
Roberts, a Port Arthur native, saved his best performances for two of the biggest games of the season. He had a careerhigh 18 tackles, including two for loss and a sack, against Memphis. In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Florida State, Roberts had eight tackles as UH limited running back Dalvin Cook to a season-low 33 yards.
Roberts took the opportunity to get noticed in front of scouts from nearly every NFL team at UH’s pro day. He was clocked at 4.60 seconds in the 40, had a 36-inch vertical leap, a 10-foot broad jump and bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times. A fair warning
Roberts said he has a chip on his shoulder after not being invited to the NFL combine. And it’s growing.
“Once I go on that second day or early in that third day, that chip is every team that passed on me you’re going to know we missed out on this guy,” he said. “And if I was on your draft board and you weren’t too sure, you’re going to be like, ‘Man, I knew there was something in that kid.’ ”
Oh, Roberts received four calls from teams Tuesday. Now he waits for the one call that matters.