MSU's 'Big Worm' Roberts Setting Tone in Final College Season
In this story:
EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Nicknames aren't supposed to be chosen by the people who get them.
Michigan State defensive lineman Ben Roberts, who goes by "Big Worm," did anyway. He showed up to his high school one day, told everyone, "My name's 'Big Worm,'" and everyone went with it. Given how big a guy Roberts is, now listed at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, I wouldn't be debating it very much, either.
"Everything is 'Worm' now," Roberts said on Tuesday. "Nobody even calls me by my first name no more."
Roberts is headed into his fifth and final college football season, his third with the Spartans after beginning his career at Oregon. The transfer portal would have been an understandable option for Roberts this offseason with the team's coaching change, but Roberts doubted very little in his decision to stick around with Pat Fitzgerald.
More from 'Big Worm'
Why Roberts Stayed
"I think it's definitely a blessing to have Coach Fitz," Roberts said. "He's done a great job trying to establish a culture and trying to bring this place to where --- trying to bring this place and put it back on top where it belongs, because obviously, Coach [Mark] Dantonio and all of them have done it."
"Everybody on the team, we have faith and belief in Coach Fitz and what we can do as a defense. Obviously, we've just got to be able to just come together, right? I mean, we've just got to lean on each other and take every opportunity we get. With all these practices, we only get 15. We've just got to take advantage of it."
Roberts also has a pre-existing relationship with new defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III, who joined MSU's staff after previously being the DL coach for the Arizona Cardinals. DeLattiboudere was a graduate assistant at Oregon during the 2021 season, where he helped recruit Roberts, a member of the high school class of 2022, to the Ducks.
"It's kind of full circle," Roberts said about DeLattiboudere. "I mean, he coached a lot of my best friends and cousins at Oregon, so being able to get coached by him again, or finally, it is definitely a blessing."
"He's definitely a coach that's straightforward, and that's what we need, right? I mean, you don't need a coach that's going to sugarcoat you or baby you. He's a coach who's going to get after it."
Roberts is the clear leader of the current defensive line. Roberts started in six of the seven games he appeared in last season, missing five games due to injury. He had a 69.9 PFF grade over 161 defensive snaps last season, making 11 total tackles.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika