By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – On a West High team loaded with talent Trumell Roberts didn’t need long to recognize his role.

Surrounded by all-state players and college recruits Roberts says his responsibilities for Class 4A No. 1 West High (8-0) are straightforward.

“Run hard, tackle hard, that’s my role,” Roberts said. “Whatever coach asks me to do, that’s what I’m going to do.”

The no-nonsense Roberts has filled that role to near perfection in his time in a Trojan uniform.

A senior linebacker turned part-time running back, Roberts is making a name for himself on a West High squad dotted with potential Division I recruits.

“He’s a guy that has done everything we’ve ever asked him to do and he’s getting what he deserves at this point,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “Coming up, these are the games that people pay attention to and people are going to see how good he is.”

Roberts has been impressive for the top-ranked Trojans this season.

He leads West High with 37.5 tackles and has a team-high 18 solo stops and 4.5 tackles for loss.

Those numbers are impressive considering the four players behind him on the West High tackle list (Dillon Doyle, Cole Mabry, Dillon Shephard and Caden Fedeler) are among the top defensive players in the state.

“He’s now the player that we all knew he would be, he’s just getting the opportunities and making the most of them,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “He was a guy that played big minutes for us last year he was just overshadowed by everybody else but we always knew he could play.”

Roberts was the odd man out in a West High inside linebacker rotation last season.

Rather than complain, Roberts looked for a role and found one as a substitutional blitzer.

“His role last year was basically to come in to blitz,” West High defensive coordinator Tyler Meade said. “There were basically three guys for two spots.”

Roberts was still good enough in that role to rank seventh on the team with 35 tackles while making 4.5 tackles for loss last season.

This season Roberts has flourished in his run hard tackle hard role.

He’s already eclipsed his tackle total from last season despite West High’s starters seeing limited second-half action in several lopsided wins.

At 6-foot and 200 pounds Roberts is a blend of size and speed that allows Meade to use him in a variety of settings on defense.

“He’s a 100-meter runner playing linebacker,” said Meade who is an assistant on the West High track team. “He’s a guy when you send him on a blitz he’s strong enough to get through the line and he’s fast enough you can put him man-to-man against a running back. It allows us to play so many different defenses with him in there.”

Defense has always been home to Roberts.

True to his word of doing whatever is asked of him Roberts didn’t hesitate when Hartwig told him this summer he would get a look at running back this fall.

“He reacted the same way he always does when you ask him to do something, ‘You got it, o.k. coach. Sounds good,’” Hartwig said of the conversation with Roberts about moving to offense. “He’s just a humble kid and he works hard.”

Roberts had played a little fullback at the lower levels but didn’t have much of an offensive history on the football field.

In his first season in the backfield he is averaging 8.4 yards per carry while rushing for 380 yards and three touchdowns.

“It’s always fun getting the ball and seeing holes opening up, so that’s been fun,” Roberts said. “Really, whatever coach wants me to do that’s what I’ll try to do for the team.”

Roberts had 21 carries in the first six games of the season but has become more involved on offense over the past two weeks.

He rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries in a win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy and added 52 yards on seven carries last week against Linn-Mar.

In less than a season, the running back role is growing on the former linebacker.

“Right now it’s about even, I don’t know if I like one better than the other,” Roberts said.  “I really like playing on both offense and defense.”

A bruising runner with speed, Roberts provides the perfect complement to shifty senior Andre White who leads West High with 452 rushing yards.

The addition of Roberts in the running back rotation has allowed more rest for both backs, a factor Hartwig has already seen pay off.

“They complement each other well and that’s the point,” Hartwig said. “They both play big minutes on defense so they have to.”

Now that Roberts has found his role the production and likely recognition will follow.

Roberts isn’t really interested in either he just wants to do his job.”

“I don’t really pay attention to it, as long as we are winning that’s what I’m worried about,” Roberts said. “I just want to win.”