Owen Roberts hails from a football family, but until the past year he believed his future was in a different sport.

Roberts, who will be a senior at York this fall, started playing lacrosse in the first grade. He first tried football in seventh grade. His dad, Trevor, coached and played football at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington state, and his grandfather also coached football.

But Roberts growing up had designs to play college lacrosse. That all changed after Roberts’ sophomore year at York, when he was the only sophomore on the Class 8A state runner-up.

“My coaches, my head coach, they all pushed me a lot and honestly opened my eyes to my potential,” Roberts saids. “Honestly I didn’t think this would ever happen. After sophomore year I was all about football.”

That potential has been realized on the recruitment front.

Roberts, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rated a three-star prospect, made his verbal commitment to Purdue on June 3.

Roberts, rated the No. 38 prospect in Illinois’ Class of 2027 and 85th-ranked edge nationally by the 247Sports recruiting website, chose Purdue from 24 scholarship offers including Illinois, Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Kansas State.

Roberts cited academics and the opportunity to play close to home as factors in his decision. He plans to pursue a degree in engineering. Besides Purdue’s proximity to Roberts’ current hometown of Elmhurst, he also has extended family in Seattle.

Roberts lived in Seattle until he was 11, and moved to Ohio in middle school before coming to Elmhurst before his freshman year.

“In the Big Ten I get to play out there, amazing that they’ll get to see me play,” Roberts said. “Academics was a big part. I want to walk away from my college career with a good degree and I want to study engineering. Purdue is one of the best in the country.”

Roberts has long had his sights set on playing for Purdue.

His sister, Mylie, will be a senior at the school this fall. Roberts has cultivated a strong relationship for over a year now with Purdue defensive ends coach Jake Trump and made multiple visits to the campus.

“Honestly, it’s been a long time coming,” Roberts said. “My relationship with the coaches and the staff has been fantastic. Coach Trump treats me like family and that’s important to me.”

Roberts was first introduced to Trump last spring, and went on a game day visit to the Purdue campus last fall. Purdue came to York in the spring, put Roberts through workouts and extended an offer on April 20. He made a visit on May 29 and committed shortly after.

“Coach Trump told me in order to get an offer I needed to prove to the higher ups my athletic ability and what he sees in me,” Roberts said. “He needed to proof to the analysts. He was my biggest advocate.”

Roberts said that his size, speed and versatility is what ultimately attracted Purdue coaches.

“Honestly they needed to see how I move, they needed to get videos of me and my get-off, running around, running bends,” he said. “They plan for me to be their equal side end or be a rush, depends on where I develop. They see me as a tool they could use to be successful.

“It did feel pretty good to get the offer, especially because I got to earn it, had to work for it. Knowing I could do it, to show other people that I could get an offer lke that, it’s rewarding.”