 Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Roberts graduated from Asheville High School in 1987 and played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, where he won the Jacobs Trophy in 1990 & 1991 as the ACC's top blocker.At and over , he was the tenth overall selection in the 1992 NFL Draft, taken by the Seattle Seahawks.After four seasons in Seattle, he finished his career with the Detroit Lions.