Michael Roberts Selected by Detroit Lions in Fourth Round of NFL Draft

            Toledo, Ohio – University of Toledo tight end Michael Roberts (Cleveland, OH) was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft on Saturday. Roberts is the 127^th pick of the draft.

            Roberts joins teammate Kareem Hunt as 2017 draftees. Hunt was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft on Friday night. Hunt and Roberts are the first two Rockets selected in the NFL Draft since John Greco and Jalen Parmele were selected in 2008.

        "It's a moment I'll never forget," said Roberts, who watched the draft with friends and family. "I think my mom is still crying. It's amazing. I'm just very happy right now."

        "I thought I would go somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. I'm very happy with how it worked out. Detroit is a great opportunity for me. It's probably the best possible situation for me. It's also great that it's so close to Toledo. I might be able to come back and watch some games this year."

         Roberts caught 45 passes for 533 yards and led the nation's tight ends with 16 touchdown receptions, eight more than the next-nearest tight end. A first-team All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Roberts broke the Toledo record for touchdown catches in a season previously held by Lance Moore (14 in 2004). He shattered school record for TD receptions by a tight end, formerly held by Don Seymour (9 in 1973). A first-team All-MAC honoree, Roberts had three TD catches in one game against both Western Michigan and Bowling Green. He played in the 2017 Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game.

            The selection of Hunt and Roberts in the first four rounds of the draft represents a huge accomplishment for the players and the program, said UT head coach Jason Candle.

        "The two biggest goals for our football program," said Candle, "are to win a MAC Championship and help young men chase their dreams after graduation. For some of our players, reaching the NFL is a part of that. We are still working toward winning a championship, but this year's draft is a step in the right direction.

        "We're very proud of Kareem and Michael. Those two guys went through a lot of challenges and adversity to get where they are today. This means a lot to them and to all the people in their lives who sacrificed and helped them along the way. It means a lot to me that these are two young men who we have been with from the very beginning of their college careers. I'm very happy for them, and I think both of them are in really good situations with their respective teams."

Michael Roberts Selected by Detroit Lions in Fourth Round of NFL Draft

Players Mentioned

Kareem Hunt

Michael Roberts

Footer