Although his time on the field has been brief, Chattanooga Christian sophomore Keano Roberts has some high expectations placed on him to develop as a football player over the course of the next two years.
Roberts, 6'5" 280 pounds (lbs.), moved to Chattanooga Christian School (CCS) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to pursue educational opportunities, and was accepted by CCS through its "homestay" program for international students.
Last year, Roberts played for the school's basketball team, but now he has shifted his focus to American football. He is learning and improving daily. Roberts has lost over 40 pounds since the end of the high school basketball season.
"I've always watched football on television," said Roberts. "When I came here I started really getting into it. I watched it a lot more closely, just being a student of the game."
Roberts saw limited playing time in the CCS Chargers loss at McCallie last week. However, there is still a lot of work left to be done before he has a shot at a starting role.
According to Chargers' Head Coach Mark Mariakis, Roberts shows great potential. He said that right now they're still trying to figure out which side of the ball suits him best. He said that he monitored him on both sides of the ball and that the offensive side seems to be more comfortable for him.
"It's tough for that big body to stay low," Mariakis said. "You have to understand leverage and how to get into people's hips, but from where he was in May, when he touched a football helmet for the fist time, he's come a long way. With three years in the weight room, the kid could be a monster. One of the most exciting things we get to see as coaches in this game is when a young kid develops. I know one thing; he's not going to be limited by his stature."
Roberts credits Coach Mariakis and his teammates for his rapid development over the course of the past few months.
"This is one of the most encouraging teams I've ever been a part of," said Roberts. "They encourage me and have made me better each and every day."
Roberts added that he still plans to play basketball in the winter, but thinks there will come a time when he has to choose between basketball and football.

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