High football star Robbie Roper dies after complications from medical procedure in Georgia
By MARIYA MURROW, IYANI HUGHES, SAVANNAH LOUIE
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ROSWELL, Georgia (WGCL) — The Roswell High School community is mourning the shocking death of senior quarterback Robbie Roper Wednesday afternoon.
Roswell tight end Zeke Moore said everyone at Roswell knew Roper — not just as the star athlete who threw game-winning touchdowns — but as the kind of guy who could talk to anyone before the morning bell rang.
“Obviously everyone knew what he could do on the field, but once he got in the building and started to talk people who don’t know how football works – they know Robbie,” said Moore.
Roswell Football Head Coach Chris Prewitt told CBS46 Roper was a “model citizen” with exemplary character on and off the field.
“Robbie did everything in life with a contagious positive and energetic attitude that will be missed by all who knew him,” said Prewitt. “Robbie fought and battled until the very end like he did everything in life.”
Roper’s teammates agreed his attitude away from the football field made him a true leader.
“He was truly someone everyone knew and looked up to in a lot of ways,” said Moore. “He cared about everyone else.”
Moore recalled one day when he and Roper read books to young children at school.
“He always had a good balance in life, whether it’s having fun, working hard, or winning,” he said.
Robbie’s sister, Breanna Roper, acknowledged her brother’s impact shortly after his passing.
“LIVE LIKE 5. Robbie was able to touch so many hearts. I am beyond proud of the man he has become, and can only wish to be half as good of a teammate, leader, and person that Robbie was,” wrote Roper on Twitter.
On Wednesday, Roswell teammates and coaches gathered to remember the young life lost too soon. The close-knit group that has just lost a brother said they’ll hold their own families a little tighter tonight.
“Football is one thing, but with people’s families and all that – it’s already having an effect. People telling each other they love them for the first time in a while,” said Moore.
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