Lincoln's Jerome Roberts is CIF San Diego Section Defensive Player of the Year

Roberts was a tackling machine during his final season with Lincoln

SBLive's 2023 Defensive Player of the Year

LB - Jerome Roberts, Lincoln, Sr.

After starting on Lincoln's 2022 CIF State championship team, Jerome Roberts stepped up to lead the Hornets on defense as a senior.

Despite losing many top recruits on the defensive side of the ball, Lincoln seemed to not miss a beat, coming up a few yards short of repeating as San Diego Section Open Division champions.

Pairing with fellow senior Micah Valenzuela for a top linebacker duo, Roberts finished his season with 171 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception while scoring three touchdowns along the way.

The Sacramento State-signee made an impact each week, finishing with double digit tackles in 11 of 12 games.

2023 YEARLY AWARDS

• Player of the Year: Julian Sayin, Carlsbad, Sr.

• Offensive Player of the Year: Kevin Allen III, Helix, Sr.

• Defensive Player of the Year: Jerome Roberts, Lincoln, Sr.

• Freshman of the Year: Zachary Benitez, Granite Hills

-- Bodie De Silva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca