Roberson Relishes Memory of First Sacks

Rookie outside linebacker made an impact in Sunday's loss to Saints

NASHVILLE – Derick Roberson expects the memory of his first NFL sacks to be a lasting one.

It will help that the guy he sacked promised to send some memorabilia.

The Tennessee Titans rookie linebacker got to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees a little more than eight minutes into the contest. For good measure, he got another one early in the fourth quarter.

Both forced the Saints to punt.

“After I got the first one, I was like, ‘Yeah, I need to get another one,’” Roberson said Sunday following the game. “Drew Brees is a Hall of Famer. Anytime you can get to a Hall of Famer like that is a good day.

“I actually grew up being a Saints fan when Reggie Bush got drafted. So, I told him that, and he told me he was going to send me something.”

Roberson, an undrafted rookie out Sam Houston State (Texas), grew up in San Antonio and made his NFL debut Dec. 15 against the Houston Texans, the NFL team closest to his hometown. Then came Sunday’s 38-28 loss to the Saints, the team closest to his heart.

A revelation during training camp and the preseason (seven tackles, a team-high two sacks), he was on the practice squad for 11 of the season’s first 12 weeks. He was on the active roster briefly in October and promoted again at the end of November but was inactive three times before he got to play against the Texans.

The only tackles he has made thus far are the two sacks of Brees.

“It’s just preparing every week in practice and every day, working on my fundamentals, learning the plays,” he said. “Just being more of a pro, finding a daily routine, even on off days finding stuff that I know and to stick to it.”

With two sacks, he already has as many as Sharif Finch, a starting outside linebacker when the season opened who has played in eight games, and is half a sack shy of Cameron Wake, the veteran pass rush specialist who made seven appearances before he was placed on injured reserve.

“It feels good to go in there and do anything I can do to help the team win,” Roberson said. “… Like my coach said, we just have to keep on going. This is just the start.”