Jaeden Roberts or The Incredible Hulk?
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama offensive guard Jaeden Roberts is a big guy.
Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, he's not a guy you want to mess with — on the field or in the weight room. Roberts has a reputation of being an absolute beast during workouts, and it's paying off in the games.
It's not just a coincidence. The Crimson Tide's offensive line has steadily improved since inserting Roberts into the starting unit.
"I’ve never seen a weight that Jaeden Roberts couldn’t pick up," Seth McLaughlin said on Monday. "Whatever we put on the bar, it goes down and goes back up very, very fast. We might need to get a longer bar to put more weight on it to really show us how strong he is. He’s an incredible person. He’s a freak of nature with how strong he is. It’s been nice playing next to him because his one hand is stronger than my two probably, so if he just sticks one hand out there, you get a lot of help from him."
Running back Roydell Williams gets to run behind Roberts regularly. He's ready to compare him to the giant, green wrecking machine seen in Hollywood.
"Oh man … man, I came in yesterday in the weight room, man, and he had plates on plates on plates on plates," Williams said. "I’m like, this guy really finna squat this? It was like, that was his first set, and I was like, hold on, you’ve got two more sets to go, man. But man, that guy is like the Hulk, man. That boy strong. He’s physical. He comes ready to work. Overall, man, he’s a fantastic guy to be around. His energy is always there. It’s never negative, it’s always positive, and he’s been a big help to the O-line."