For Deonte Thompson, it still elicits a big sigh from his lungs. Losing his nephew to murder in his hometown of Belle Glade, Florida three years ago was difficult. Not only because he was family, but because Darrel Roberts was more like a brother.
“He was my oldest brother’s son, so we were the same age,” said Thompson. “We grew up in the same house so he was really like my brother.”
Roberts was also the one who introduced Thompson to football.
“He was the athlete. Third grade he came home with some shoulder pads and that’s how we started playing football,” Thompson recalled.