Strange how life works.
How can a devastating incident end up turning into such a positive?
Rolan Roberts looks back on his last two years and still feels anger, still feels as though he was made a scapegoat, still is trying to repair his image.
That’s what happens when you’re accused of a rape.
“I always sit back and think about it, I have no choice,” Roberts says of the events that led to his transfer from Virginia Tech to Southern Illinois, for whom he will start at center Friday night at the United Center against Texas Tech in the first round of the East Regional of the NCAA tournament. “Sometimes I sit around and it still bothers me.”
On January 29, 2000, Roberts, then a three-year starter for the Hokies, and teammate Dennis Mims had a female Virginia Tech student at their off-campus apartment.
The woman alleged she was taken into a bedroom where the two players raped her.
The Blacksburg police investigated and no charges were filed against Roberts or Mims, although Roberts was charged with possessing a small amount of marijuana.
The incident came on the heels of sexual assault allegations made against members of the Hokies football team and Roberts and Mims were brought before the university’s judicial review board.
The board found Roberts guilty of assault and sexual misconduct and suspended him until the fall of 2001. Because the 2000-01 season was Roberts’ senior year, he was basically kicked out of school. Mims was found guilty of assault and received a deferred suspension.
“I put myself in that position and I shouldn’t have,” Roberts says now. “[But] I was accused of something I didn’t do. Things happen, but I never thought it could happen to me, believe me.”
In the summer of 2000, Roberts was without a school, without basketball for the first time in his life and had the label of accused rapist.
“I remember a couple of my family members gave up on me, turned their backs on me,” Roberts says. “That really hurt.”
The coaching fraternity being what it is, Virginia Tech coach Ricky Stokes knew then Southern Illinois–now UIC–assistant coach Lynn Mitchem and asked him whether they would be interested in taking Roberts.
“I called Rolan and asked him some pretty tough questions,” Mitchem says. “After I talked to him, I respected Coach Stokes’ recommendation. The hard part was to convince Coach Weber to take him.”
SIU head coach Bruce Weber knew Roberts, of Woodbridge, Va., was a good player.
But Weber wasn’t sure whether to take the chance. What helped sealed his decision were the telephone calls from people at Virginia Tech calling in support of Roberts–including Stokes’ wife, Karen, a lawyer, who said that she would have no trouble having Roberts baby-sit for her daughter.
“We did some homework before we made this decision,” Weber says. “It’s a one-year gamble. The coach’s wife, who is a lawyer, said, hey this is a good kid, he’s worth the gamble. Their academic advisor, who is a woman, said this kid deserves a chance.”
While Roberts was happy to leave Virginia, his story traveled with him. The first impression in a case like Roberts’ is always the worst–accused rapist becomes part of your name.
“People were walking around campus and had remarks under their breath,” Roberts says. “That was kind of hard to deal with at first.”
To make matters worse, he didn’t have basketball as an escape. As a result of his transfer, Roberts had to sit out a season. He could practice with the Salukis, but not play in games.
“Not being able to play in the games really hurt,” Roberts says. “Ever since high school I’ve been playing. I’ve never had any breaks from the game.”
And Weber had him on a tight leash. One false step, one mess-up, and Roberts was gone.
“[I told him,] `We can’t have any slip-ups. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to, you’re never going to play again.’ He listened,” Weber says.
There haven’t been any slip-ups. On the contrary, Roberts earned his degree in liberal arts last semester and is taking graduate courses.
Roberts also is involved in the community and takes part in programs in which he reads to children.
“I made sure he got in the community as much as possible,” Weber says. “There is always that fear factor, the unknown. All [people] get is what they read. He is a good person.”
He’s a pretty good basketball player, too, and a big reason why the Salukis are 26-7 and preparing for the NCAA tournament.
“We’re a pretty good team, but nowhere near 26-7 [without Roberts],” Weber says “But with him in the NCAA tournament we can be a factor.”
Roberts was the Missouri Valley Conference newcomer of the year and defensive player of the year. He averaged 14 points a game and had 80 blocks in 31 games.
A new chapter now awaits him.
Weber says he doesn’t know if Roberts can play in the NBA–he plays center on the Salukis as a Charles Barkley-like 6 feet 6 inches, 250 pounds–but thinks he can play professionally somewhere.
“There are some things he still has to work on,” says Mitchem, who still talks to Roberts three or four times a week. “He’s a great shot-blocker. I know what he can do and what he is capable of.”
Roberts says he hasn’t given the NBA much thought. He has had so many other things to think about the last two years.
“I didn’t think it could turn out like this, in this positive a situation,” he says.
