CORE360 Sports salutes Jacques Roman, a ferocious linebacker on the 2003 undefeated 15-0 State Champion Camden County Wildcats.
Roman was a big part of a Wildcats defense that allowed only 47 points thanks to nine shutouts – two in the state playoffs. In the state championship game, the defense held the storied Valdosta Wildcats scoreless through three-and-a-half quarters.
In 2005, Roman was forced to redshirt and watch his teammates roll to a 21-16 win over Northern Iowa for the National Championship. He returned the following year as the starting middle linebacker for the defending champs.
The Mountaineers made the rest of the teams on their schedule pay for the loss they endured at the hands of North Carolina State in the opening game of the 2006 season. The Mountaineers’ defense allowed a scant 14.9 points per game, 3.1 yards per rush, and 168.6 yards passing per game on the way to a second D-1AA National Championship.
Roman had his breakout as a second-year starter. He opened the season with five tackles including a forced fumble in the Mountaineers’ 34-32 win over the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The sophomore earned honorable-mention All-American recognition for posting 127 tackles (49 solo) in the regular season and another 39 in the playoffs. Roman and the Mountaineers defeated the University of Delaware 49-21. The Blue Hens quarterback that year was none other than Super Bowl XLVII MVP and winner Joe Flacco.
Year three was a charm for Roman. He was named Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year for leading the conference in tackles and finishing tied for second nationally in fumble recoveries..His 130 tackles ranked sixth nationally. In the season opener against LSU, Roman led both defenses with 12 tackles and an interception.
Roman wrapped up his final season at App State (11-3) in 2009 with 107 tackles, a sack, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and four QB hurries. His second pick, a 34-yarder, came against number-one-ranked Montana in the D1-AA National Championship Semi-Finals.