First of all, ‘big up’s’ to Charles Roberts for being invited to play in this year’s Hula Bowl. It’s awesome to see Sac State represented at the national level, and for Roberts personally, it’s great to be honored as one of the elite college players in the country. He has, afterall, rushed for more yards than anybody in the history of Division I football, and let me just say thank you to Mr. Roberts for putting together the greatest rushing career in front of me, and the entire Sacramento area. It was fun to watch.

However, the Hula Bowl also marks the final possibility for Roberts to cherish the record, and his stardom that was Sac State. From this moment on, Roberts will have an uphill battle to climb. A professional career awaits him, and his past accomplishments will not be anywhere near the scouts and coaches that will be evaluating him at tryouts and scouting combines in the coming months, leading up to next year’s NFL draft.

It’s not that Roberts has no chance, but realistically, the odds are against him. It’s something that has haunted him for years and I’m sure he’s heard it a million times. “He’s too small.” And unfortunately, in the next few months, he’ll hear it a million times more.

Roberts main shot at the “big show” will be if he can prove he’s a legitimate threat as a kick returner and a third down situation back. Others, such as Warrick Dunn, Eric Metcalf and Dave Meggett have overcome their size disadvantage and made the NFL home by doing just that. Roberts’ opportunity lies in how well he proves he can do those things.

Being the featured running back at Sac State, he did not get many opportunities on special teams. He caught only a limited amount of passes in his four years, meaning that Roberts is going to have to prove himself in those areas. He’s going to have to prove that his speed is above average, and he’s going to have to prove that he won’t be simply arm tackled every time he touches the ball. It’s a league of 250 to 300 lb. defensive lineman that eat Roberts’ weight, in the form of any variety of processed meats, for lunch.

Roberts stands 5’6 and weighs in at 171 lbs. Not bad for the average man, but when the weakest tackler in the NFL, Deion Sanders, is 6’1, 195 lbs, it’s awfully tough to make it on sheer will, and quickness only gets you so far…especially as a featured running back. So, if Roberts doesn’t get the chance to grace an NFL field in the immediate future, what other options does he have? He will be a pro, the main question is: where?

The CFL caters to Roberts’ abilities. They have a wider field, and they play only 10 men on each side of the ball. Roberts will run wild if he takes that option. Or perhaps the newly forming XFL, with former teammate Tim Conley, will be an option. It’s going to be a league with a lot of TV exposure, and its promise to be a hard-nosed league will give Roberts a chance to prove his toughness. If neither of those are suitable, the other option might be NFL Europe. It’s become a minor league system of sorts for the NFL.

Wherever Roberts ends up, luck is wished upon him. I hope he gets to the show. It would be great to see him defy the odds and prove all that doubt, including myself, wrong.

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