{"id":30660,"date":"2025-07-29T00:59:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/30660\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T00:59:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T00:59:08","slug":"stampeders-jacob-roberts-capitalizes-on-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/30660\/","title":{"rendered":"Stampeders\u2019 Jacob Roberts capitalizes on opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ running back Brady Oliveira, centre, is brought down by Calgary Stampeders’ linebackers Micah Teitz, left, and Jacob Roberts during their game in Calgary, Thursday, July 3, 2025.Jeff McIntosh\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Preparation ensured Jacob Roberts was ready when the Calgary Stampeders needed him most.<\/p>\n

The second-year linebacker leads Calgary in total tackles (43), which also leaves him tied for third in the CFL. Not bad, considering Roberts began the season as a backup before stepping in at weakside linebacker after middle linebacker Marquel Lee (bicep) was hurt in the Stampeders 29-19 win in Toronto on June 14.<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Roberts had 14 total tackles (four defensive, 10 special teams) in six games last season after signing with Calgary on Aug. 24, 2024. This year, though, he had the benefit of a full training camp with the Stamps.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year I came in pretty late and was kind of behind learning the system,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is my first full year, it was my first training camp so I got ahead in the playbook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned as much as I could so I could go out there and be the best player I could be for this defence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roberts, 23, began the \u201925 season behind Canadian Micah Teitz at weakside linebacker. But when Lee went down, Teitz moved to middle linebacker and Roberts replaced him.<\/p>\n

Roberts had a team-high eight tackles in last week\u2019s 23-21 loss to Montreal. The Stampeders (5-2) visit the Ottawa Redblacks (1-6) on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

Montreal handed Calgary its first loss in four games. But the Stampeders have already recorded as many wins as they had in \u201924 (5-12-1) when they missed the CFL playoffs for the first time since 2004.<\/p>\n

Calgary\u2019s biggest off-season move was acquiring veteran quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. from the B.C. Lions. Adams has helped spearhead a Stampeders offence that entering action last week led the CFL in net yards (406.3\/game) and rushing (130.5\/game) and was tied for second in offensive TDs (16).<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A teammates’ injury opened the door for Roberts to move into the Stampeders’ starting lineup this season, allowing the second-year linebacker to shine on the field.DARRYL DYCK\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

But Calgary\u2019s defence has done its part, helped also by the return of defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade (trade with Toronto) and the addition of defensive back Damon Webb (free agency). Heading into last week\u2019s action, the Stampeders were first in fewest offensive points allowed (17.2 per game) and offensive TDs (seven) and second overall in fewest touchdown passes allowed (seven).<\/p>\n

Last year, Calgary\u2019s defence was last overall against the run (125.6 yards\/game) and eighth in both offensive points allowed (27.1) and net offensive yards (381.2).<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just preparation and trust,\u201d Roberts said of Calgary\u2019s defensive turnaround. \u201cWe built the trust in training camp and everyone put in a lot of effort to learn the playbook and schemes so when we got to the season from the pre-season, we gelled together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just feel like it shows to the work we put in before the season started and the work we continue to put in now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roberts completed his collegiate career at Wake Forest in 2023, recording 83 tackles (10 for loss), six sacks and two forced fumbles while starting nine-of-12 games. He spent the previous three seasons at North Carolina A&T, posting 218 tackles (29.5 for loss), 9.5 sacks, five interceptions, a fumble recovery and six blocked kicks in 32 career contests.<\/p>\n

\u201cJacob is a dynamic playmaking linebacker who is capitalizing on the opportunity to showcase his skills,\u201d said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Roberts\u2019 Florida-based agent. \u201cAnd it\u2019s resulting in a standout season so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruth be told, I firmly believe Jacob is only going to get better and develop into one of the league\u2019s best linebackers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roberts admits he knew little about Canada or the CFL before arriving in Calgary. And while he needed some time to get acclimated to a new city and playing a different game on a wider, longer field, Roberts feels the transition to both was seamless.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing all that motion for the first time, my thought was, \u2019Oh wow, I definitely have to get used to this,\u2019\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut studying film and being out there in practice going against some of the best receivers in the league allows you to adjust faster and more easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say I adjusted pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he\u2019s now playing football for a living, Roberts said his outlook on the game hasn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI approach this the same way I did in high school,\u201d he said. \u201cI take football very seriously, I always play with a chip on my shoulder and feel like every time I step on the field I have something to prove.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mentality has never changed. I always strive to be the best player I can be on the field no matter where I\u2019m at.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ running back Brady Oliveira, centre, is brought down by Calgary…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30661,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,521,875,522,520,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,82,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-30660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadian-news","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}