Record-setter Roberts chooses Wheaton College

For the last three years, Jordan Roberts visited colleges around the country, from the south to the West Coast to all over the Midwest.

In the end, he picked a school 25 miles from his home ­- one that wasn't even on his radar until two weeks ago.

Roberts, a senior at Aurora Christian who shattered state records for career passing yards and passing touchdowns this year, chose Wheaton College, a perfect fit for many reasons.

"It's almost like it hasn't kicked in a whole lot yet," Roberts said. "It's been a long process and difficult but the decision was easy.

"They (college coaches) are supposed to say what you want to hear but they did. Wheaton has the same morals and faith-based programs as Aurora Christian and the same stuff I want where I go to college."

Roberts led Aurora Christian to a 13-1 record this fall and to second place in Class 4A while being named a Class 4A All-Stater. But it didn't translate into the Division I offers he hoped. He picked Wheaton College over Drake, Grand Valley State, Illinois State and Butler.

"Everyone's goal was to go Division I and that was my goal but that didn't play out as planned," Roberts said. "Before I had all these different feelings, impatient and frustrated, but right now I'm happy with my decision. I prayed about it a ton, and it feels like the right fit for me."

While Roberts visited Division I schools around the country for several years, he just recently became interested in Wheaton College, a Division III power that lost in the national semifinals this past year. In fact, when Wheaton College came to talk to Roberts over his lunch hour at Aurora Christian last week, Illinois State also showed up.

That was typical of how crazy the recruiting process got, but Roberts said for the most part he'll look back on it with positive memories.

"It was great experiences, I enjoyed going to Big Ten games, going to schools and seeing them," Roberts said. "Throughout this year I've been impatient at times, but overall it's been great and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad it is over and I can enjoy my senior year and not have to worry about it."

Wheaton will return its senior quarterback and has two sophomore QBs, plus Roberts and another freshman in this class. The Thunder run the same prostyle offense Roberts mastered under Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe.

While taking his visit to Wheaton this past week, one of the players Roberts met was Alex Pokorny, a Geneva graduate who set Thunder records at wide receiver this year. Pokorny was one of the players who helped Roberts realize what a great situation Wheaton would be for him.

"Alex Pokorny, what a great kid," said Jordan's father Doug Roberts. "Everything about Wheaton, its faith, ministry mission trips, all the things Jordan loved for four years of at ACS was not football so much but the ministry, the friendships, the same thing Wheaton College does.

"He walked out (of his visit) and said, 'Dad, that's where I want to go.'"