State record-setter Roberts winner on and off the field
It's hard to imagine it today, a day that Jordan Roberts can wake up and see his name ahead of every other quarterback in state history, but there was a time not so long ago when people wondered if Roberts could keep Aurora Christian's prolific attack firing.
A freshman starting at quarterback? Filling the shoes of Nate Peterson, an all-stater in his own right who threw for 3,085 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, then 2,806 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior in 2004?
A lot of promise surrounded Roberts, certainly. But the state's all-time leader in touchdown passes? And likely soon the all-time leader in passing yards?
Consider every expectation met, if not blown away.
It's been a fun - and fast - four years.
"You knew it was going to be a ride, but not like this," Jordan Roberts' father Doug said. "God has had his hand on Jordan throughout this journey."
What started with three touchdown passes against Monmouth-Roseville in Roberts' first game in 2005 now stands at 98 career touchdowns, three more Luke Hockaday from Maroa-Forsyth. Hockaday held the record until Roberts tossed 4 touchdowns in a 42-21 against Chicago Christian Friday night in the second game ever on Aurora Christian's home field.
Roberts wasted little time tying the record. On the Eagles' second possession, the 6-foot-1, 204-pound quarterback found Matt Morse on a 10-yard fade for his 95th career touchdown pass.
The record-setter came two possessions later, again to Morse, who made a spectacular return from mono with 4 TD receptions. With "Celebration" blaring on the loud speakers, Roberts got a big hug from Luis Solorio and the rest of his teammates, handshakes and the football from the officials, a standing ovation from the crowd, and a hug from coach Don Beebe as he walked off the field.
"Everyone was all over me, I was just trying to get people off of me," Roberts said. "It was great. But I wasn't coming into the game thinking about that at all. I was just thinking, come in here, get the win. It's awesome."
Roberts found Morse for two more touchdowns in the second quarter and a 35-0 halftime lead. At that point it looked like the only suspense would be whether Roberts could end the night with an even 100 touchdowns.
Chicago Christian finally played like a 4-0 team in the second half, while the officials also looked like they wanted their names in the record books by calling a combined 31 penalties. If anything could make the night even more special for Roberts, he did it against the Eagles' former PSL tormentors Chicago Christian, who Aurora Christian has now beat two straight years, and he did it on the first homecoming ever on their own football field.
"It was a good moment," Beebe said. "We've talked a lot about him for over four years, and there is nobody more deserving of that record than Jordan. I told Jordan, 'Nobody is more proud of you than me except maybe your mom and dad. Because I understand what you have gone through and how hard you have worked to earn what you did tonight.'"
Roberts started his career with 12 touchdowns in 2005, then 37 and 33 the next two seasons with 16 so far this year.
"All the records are about others, not Jordan," Doug Roberts said. "He would not be able to do this, if others did not do what they did. I think back to his teammates his freshman year. The leaders like Jon Henderson, Aaron Gray, Matt Russell, Nate Conrad, Ben Assell, and so many others that helped Jordan become a better player and young man of Christ. The records may have Jordan's name on them, but they go to them, and the coaches."
Success on the field is only a small part of what Beebe wants his Aurora Christian program to be about. And in the area that is more important, off the field behavior, Roberts is also coming up big.
"What I enjoy most about it is he's just a great kid, he's just an unselfish kid." Beebe said. "That's what I'm more proud of him than any of his talents."
"As a parent, the greatest gift we get from Jordan is when people come up to us and say that he did this, or did you hear about that," Doug Roberts said. "A young boy came up to Jordan, and said he did his "current event" at school about him. Wow, how neat is that? That's the stuff that matters."
Roberts threw for a career-high 364 yards Friday, raising his career total to 7,728. The next big mark Roberts goes after is 8,308, the state record for career yards.
As impressive as all the numbers are, Roberts takes much more pleasure in the team's success. After Friday night's win, Aurora Christian is 31-8 with Roberts under center, including 17-1 the last two seasons.
Where will all these numbers take Roberts in the future? He still hasn't received a college offer, which Beebe finds ridiculous. He's received interest from plenty of MAC schools, the latest Eastern Michigan Friday who told Beebe they were probably going to offer Roberts soon, while Central Michigan and Western Michigan also have expressed interest.
"Just getting steady mail, getting phone calls once and awhile, not too much," Roberts said. "I'm open to anything right now."
"I know God has a plan for me and my life. This is the way He wants me to go through it. I'm just being humble as much as I can."
The Roberts are going to send out video of his first five games this weekend to those MAC schools and also programs like Colorado and Arizona. Beebe wants those colleges to pay special attention to the velocity on Roberts' throws.
"The big knock on him is his arm strength, the deep comeback and the deep dig across the middle," Beebe said. "That is the only negative I've heard. The big thing is his arm strength which he's improved. I've told those teams don't go by last year's tape. He's improved. He'll get one (scholarship)."
And that college will get the IHSA's all-time best.
jlemon@dailyherald.com