The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1000643
80 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2018 BY JACEY ZEMBAL D arian Roseboro, a senior defensive end for the NC State football team, has gone through a range of diffi- cult emotions over the last decade, culminating in his father Johnny Roseboro passing away on Oct. 7, 2017, at age 43 in Lincolnton, N.C. His father had battled kidney issues, but then his liver gave out in his final months. Roseboro was developing as a superstar at Lincolnton High, playing running back, tight end, defensive end and wherever else he was needed. His junior year was when his father's health became grimmer. The family hoped that Johnny would live another 15-20 years, but Darian also understood that his father might not make it to his high school graduation. "We had some really heart-to-heart con- versations" said Roseboro. "My dad and I were really close. He was a fighter." Roseboro played with a heavy heart against Louisville on Oct. 5, 2017, knowing it might be the last game his father would see. Johnny Roseboro passed away two days later. The treatment he needed over the years had taken a toll on his body. "What messed up his liver was the medi- cation he was on," Roseboro recalled. "It worked 80 percent of the time, and they thought it would help his liver, but it didn't." Roseboro played the following game at Pittsburgh Oct. 14, and on the Panthers' last possession he sacked quarterback Ben DiNucci for a loss of 12 yards. Then two plays later, he forced a DiNucci fumble to close out the game. NC State head coach Dave Doeren gave Roseboro the game ball following the con- test, and a wave of emotions overcame the 6-4, 287-pounder. "Coach Doeren and [defensive line] Coach [Kevin] Patrick have been really good to me and my family," he said. "They understood that I'd come back at my own pace." Roseboro flirted with the notion of enter- ing the NFL Draft, but after soul-searching with his mother Angela Roseboro, and the support of his girlfriend, Aislinn Konig, who is a junior guard on the Wolfpack women's basketball team, he is back for his senior year and has some big goals. "I felt the best thing for me and my family was to come back and finish what I started and help this team be the best team it can be," explained Roseboro. Getting his sports management degree was a pledge Darian made to his father. He hopes to always remain in sports after his playing days are over. "It was really all about the promise I made to my dad before he passed," Roseboro said. "I wanted to finish my degree." Roseboro ended his junior season with 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble. The numbers were down from the 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks he had during his sophomore year. "I lost my dad, and that is probably the hardest adversity I've ever faced," said Roseboro. "Looking back on my junior year, it was kind of a disappointment. "I understand why. It was a learning les- son, and I have to come back and be better." NC State defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable believes that will happen. "There were times where Darian wasn't the old Darian, and you have to understand what he was going through," Huxtable stated. "He still played good football for us. I think this year will be an outstanding year for him. "He's ready to accept the challenge of being a leader on our defense." Roseboro isn't hiding his ambition to be a high draft selection in a year. "I want to be a first-round pick," Rose- boro said. "That has always been my goal since I was a little kid." Huxtable could tell this spring that Rose- boro was focused on making his NFL dreams a reality. "I think right now he is really locked in and focused on what he has to do to be able to continue to play football at the next level, and be take be able to take care of his family," Huxtable said. "He knows what he wants to do, and he knows what he's got to do to get there." "I want to be more consistent with my pass rush," said Roseboro, who also has a goal of leading NC State to the ACC title. "I want to increase my football IQ." Roseboro is ready for that challenge and aims to be a team leader this season. "The priority for the D-line as a whole is to get everybody on the same page, so we can play as one," noted Roseboro. "It takes all four guys to get a sack. It takes all four of us to make a play." Roseboro never has to look far for moti- vation. He has a tattoo on his left arm that has his father's name with the date of his birth (Jan. 8, 1974) and the date of his pass- ing. He also has a tattoo on his back with a quote shaped into a cross. "It says 'My family is the compass that guides me and then they are my safe haven when I occasionally falter,'" noted the Wolf- pack senior. ■ On A Mission Senior Defensive End Darian Roseboro Is Playing To Honor His Late Father Roseboro recorded 33 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 2017. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "It was really all about the promise I made to my dad before he passed. I wanted to finish my degree. There is nothing wrong with coming back for another year and working on things and becoming better." ■ Roseboro