VYPE Q&A
Manvel defensive lineman & OU commit Kori Roberson
Matt Reese
May 8, 2018, 9:31 pm
Kori has been playing football since he was four Vype
WHO: Kori Roberson, Manvel, Jr.
What: Won the ATH Poll of the Week - Top 2019 Recruit
Q&A
VYPE: How long have you been playing football and how did you get started?
KR: I have been playing football since I was 4. My mom signed me up for flag football with the Bellaire bears because she said I was too hyper and needed to burn off energy.
VYPE: You came up literally inches short of a title last year. How does that motivate you and the Manvel program entering this Spring season?
KR: It motivated me to inspire my teammates to grind throughout the offseason and fix our mistakes to win the 2018 national championship!!
VYPE: What would you say is the biggest strength to your game? What advantages do you like to create in the trenches?
KR: My biggest strength is my motor! I get after it from the start of the whistle to the end of it. I like to physically dominate my opponents.
VYPE: What are you looking to improve on the most this offseason?
KR: I want to improve my flexibility and technique.
VYPE: You're committed to OU. What were the big factors that went into that decision?
KR: It felt right... from the program to the facility and the coaching staff. It just felt like family
VYPE: What is your favorite subject in school?
KR: My favorite subject is Math.
VYPE: Go-to pregame meal?
KR: Yes, we get all of our pre-game meals from Honore’s Cajun Cafe. Best Seafood in Manvel!
VYPE: Who has had the biggest impact on your football career?
KR: My father/ Kori Roberson Sr. He taught me 99.5% of everything I know about football.
VYPE: Lastly, what is one moment from last season that you are going to remember for the rest of your life?
KR: I just can’t name one moment, but I will give you my top 3.
1) When I had 10 tackles/2 sacks in my first high school game against North Shore.
2) Catching the leading touchdown of our semi-final game against Temple.
3) Running down Highland Park’s quarterback throughout the State Championship game.
Highlights
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Cam Smith brought three dozen Shipley's glazed donuts to his Houston Astros teammates Thursday morning before his major league debut.
Then he really delivered, with an opposite-field single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues to help Houston to a 3-1 win over the New York Mets.
“They all liked it, so that’s a good thing," Smith said of the donuts, a sentiment that could also apply to his second-inning hit that set up the first run of the game.
The 22-year-old prospect reached the majors after playing just 32 minor league games. Batting seventh and starting in right field, he became the second-youngest Astros position player to make his MLB debut as a starter on opening day and the youngest since Rusty Staub was 19 in 1963.
With one out in the second, Smith grounded a single to right field on a sinker from Clay Holmes to get his first big league hit in his initial plate appearance. Jeremy Peña dashed from first to third on the play and later scored on a groundout.
“I was just looking for a pitch and I wanted to ambush it and I got lucky with that base hit,” Smith said.
The poise he showed in his debut impressed his coaches and teammates.
“He's amazing," Jose Altuve said. “He went the other way on a tough pitch and he set the tone to score the first run. I know he's going to help this team a lot. He's going to be out there getting better and better. He's just so talented.”
Most believed that Smith, the 14th overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, would need more time in the minors when he was acquired in December from the Chicago Cubs along with Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski as part of the Kyle Tucker trade.
Instead, Smith hit .342 with a triple, four homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.130 OPS this spring to earn a spot on the major league roster.
The Astros announced he’d make the big league roster earlier this week, with manager Joe Espada inviting Smith's mother into the clubhouse to deliver the news. Video of the moment shared by the Astros captured the touching exchange.
After the trade, Smith moved from third base, where Paredes is starting, to right field, where he replaced Tucker.
Still wearing his dirt-stained uniform long after the last pitch Thursday, the kid who was playing college ball at Florida State at this time last year said he hadn’t had time to reflect on his whirlwind journey to the big leagues.
“I have not,” Smith said. “I was just out there with my family on the field appreciating this day and ... good thing we got done early so I can go home and get my feet under myself and think about it.”
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