Recruit Roper dies after complications from surgery

Robbie Roper, a senior at Roswell High School in Georgia and a UConn football recruit, died Wednesday following complications from shoulder surgery, his family confirmed via social media. He was 18 years old.

The family announced his death in a tweet.

“Hey guys it’s the Roper family. We just wanted to update everyone on Robbie. Robbie just passed,” his family said just after noon on Wednesday. “He was the biggest joy to our family. We are proud of the young man he has become. He will be missed by his friends and family dearly. We are still working on funeral arrangements, and will update everyone on the date, time, and location.”

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Roper had interest from several FBS programs, including UConn, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and UMass.

New UConn head coach Jim Mora offered his condolences to the family on Twitter.

“The @UConnFootball Team sends our most heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the Roper Family,” Mora wrote, calling Roper a “fine young man who will be greatly missed and always held up with great honor and wonderful memories.”

Assistant head coach/ offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Charlton also paid his respects.

“In the short time I knew him, I could tell he was a tremendous young man,” Charlton said. “Thinking about the Roper family on this very difficult and sad day.”

Roper passed for 3,010 yards and 37 touchdowns this past season while leading Roswell to a top-10 state ranking.

He had expressed excitement about drawing interest from UConn. On Dec. 13, he tweeted that he’d had a “great conversation” with Mora and defensive backs coach Dalton Hilliard.