Success at Dartmouth in tow, Roper back home
Erie grad set to play for Colorado Mines this fall
For many, it is hard trying to master that one thing. For others, like Noah Roper, the mastery of two things brings that much more to their vigor.
After putting the stakes down in Erie years back, the Roper family name became well-known for producing football players. Noah, the youngest of four brothers, attended Erie High School like his three siblings, and the school knew they had a star football player on their hands. They did not know that the youngest Roper, their newest star running back, was on an academic track many would envy.
Roper began playing football at the youth level and started his freshman year at EHS on the varsity team, a school first. Academically, Roper found STEM classes to be his favorite, especially science and math. The Erie football program and school were more than just high school football for Roper — it was and is still part of his identity.
“Having the ability to be a part of that football program was amazing,” Roper said. “They helped me build my self-confidence and made me realize what I could achieve. I appreciate what I have so much more because of my time at Erie.”
Throughout his time at Erie, Roper torched the competition once given the green light as their starting running back. He finished his high school career with 6,339 rushing yards and 86 total touchdowns, including a 2,000-plus-yard season his senior year with 37 touchdowns.
While dominating on the gridiron to the tune of back-to-back 3A state playoff appearances, Roper was just as focused in the classroom. He was a Stem-oriented guy who got bored during his English classes, but his grades were at the top of his class, and despite him not realizing his opportunity, Dartmouth saw his skill in both football and school and gave him a call.
“I wasn’t even worried about the academics coming out of high school,” Roper admitted. “I just wanted to go to a place where the coaching staff wanted me, and I blended well with the team. It just kinda happened that their academics were also amazing…in a million years, I never envisioned myself attending an Ivy League school.”
As Roper puts it, his decision to commit to playing football at Dartmouth was “a win-win situation.” Achieving greatness in the classroom was never motivated by a goal to go to a top-tier academic institution. The cards just fell that way.
“I hold myself accountable in all aspects of my life,” Roper said. “It would have felt wrong not to do well in school because I knew I was capable. The byproduct of that was me being able to go to an Ivy League school, which was amazing.”
Byproduct or not, Roper worked hard to get his opportunity to attend Dartmouth academically and for football.
At Dartmouth, Roper’s football path wasn’t as smooth due to injuries, but it did not take away from his experience with the program, which included winning two Ivy League titles in 2019 and 2021. Even though Roper’s football career at Dartmouth wasn’t the best fit, any regrets are simply nonexistent — largely because of the degree he acquired.
“Winning the two Ivy League titles was an amazing experience to be part of,” Roper said. “Playing in those games and having an impact was pretty awesome. It was a bummer being injured for my senior season, but my whole experience there was still amazing. I always tell people that, if I could go back and pick again, I might pick somewhere else just because it might have been a better football fit for me, but I never regret being at Dartmouth.”
Despite the ups and downs of football, Roper kept focus in school and managed to graduate with a degree in philosophy modified with environmental studies. Back on the field, one of those championship seasons also brought Roper his most memorable game as a football player.
Against Brown in the final game of the 2021 season, the Big Green needed a win to hold off Princeton and win the league title. Roper exploded in that game for 126 yards (60 receiving, 66 rushing), including a 60yard touchdown pass that tied the game, and Dartmouth never looked back, winning 52-31.
“That game was simply amazing,” Roper said. “Being able to seal the game for my team and have such a big impact is super memorable. I was really proud of that moment and playing with all my buddies. At that point, we were all seniors, all starters, and we were just killing it.”
With an Ivy League degree in hand, people might wonder what else is left for Roper to accomplish. For him, a couple of things — one in both of his passions, but this time closer to home.
After graduation from Dartmouth, Roper committed to playing as a graduate transfer at the Colorado School of Mines, itself coming off a stellar season as the Divison II national runnerup. The Golden school is just 45 minutes drive from home, and he will be able to return to his passion for STEM as he hopes to gain a master’s degree in Engineering and Technology Management.
“I am going to give everything I have to this last year,” Roper said. “I am looking to be ‘that guy’ at Mines. I never got to the point at Dartmouth where they would just give me the rock multiple times every drive. I really want to be the horse for them where they just give me the ball and I ride with it. I want to be part of their team and culture. I am going to do everything in my power to lead us to a Division II national championship because that’s our goal.”