91短视频

Willie Roberts, of North Platte, has been selected to receive the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from Mid-Plains Community College.

Roberts was nominated by 91短视频 cabinet members based on his ongoing support of the college and its student-athletes. He will be recognized Nov. 5 during the Nebraska Community College Association鈥檚 annual meeting in North Platte.  

鈥淚鈥檓 surprised and honored,鈥� Roberts said upon hearing the news. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting anything like this. I don鈥檛 do what I do for the attention 鈥� it鈥檚 just me giving back.鈥�

About Roberts

The college holds a special place in Robert鈥檚 heart. It鈥檚 what brought him to North Platte in the first place.

Originally from Quitman, Miss., Roberts transferred to North Platte for the 1996-97 season to play basketball for the 91短视频 Knights under Coach Kevin O鈥機onnor. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury and had to redshirt.

鈥淚 was an older kid coming to Nebraska,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚 was 21, and North Platte was a completely different landscape from what I was used to. I grew up around a lot of gangs and violence, so I had a protective barrier up when I got here. I was lucky to have a great host family in Rick and Laurie Johnson [now Jones], and their kids Erick and Hayley. Laurie broke down my barrier just by being a mom.鈥�

Roberts spent a lot of time with the Johnsons. He helped Rick coach Erick鈥檚 youth league basketball team and also assisted Erick with his homework.

鈥淚 shot my first and last duck with Erick,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淲hatever the Johnsons did, I did. They were my home away from home.鈥�

When his girlfriend Amanda, now his wife, became pregnant with their son Dijon, Willie quit playing basketball and got a job to support his new family.

鈥淓ven though I was no longer a student-athlete, my host parents were still there for me,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淟aurie was the first person to buy Dijon diapers.鈥�

Willie Roberts鈥� entire family has been involved with hosting student athletes for North Platte Community College. Pictured left to right are: Brittney DeMilt, Willie鈥檚 future daughter-in-law; Darnell, Willie鈥檚 son; Amanda, Willie鈥檚 wife; Dayonna, Willie鈥檚 daughter and Ashley Hassett, former NPCC basketball player.

When his children were little, life kept Willie busy enough that he didn鈥檛 have much time for Knights basketball. He didn鈥檛 go to many games until Dijon was in high school.

That all changed during the 2015-16 season, at which point Dijon became a student manager for the team, and Willie and Amanda were thrust back into the Knight life full-time.

鈥淪uddenly, all these basketball kids were at our house,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淔or a while there, Amanda and I were feeding them twice a day. Eventually, I started asking, 鈥榃here is the host parent program?鈥� I found out it kind of fell by the wayside.鈥�

Gary and Connie Jo Essells had coordinated the host family program for the Knights men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams for nearly two decades 鈥� including the time when Willie was in college. After the Essells moved to Hutchinson, Kan. in Sept. 2006, the program fell into a state of dormancy and only operated on a limited basis.

鈥淐arol Sandau was basically trying to run it alone, so I asked Coach [O鈥機onnor] if I could help out, and we started the program back up again,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淚 contacted people my wife and I trusted that we knew were good families, with a halfway decent financial background, that could have a kid over and not be put in financial straits. They didn鈥檛 have to be rich, but they had to be able to feed two or three more kids because a lot of times those athletes bring a friend to meals.鈥�

They also had to be families who weren鈥檛 expecting something in return.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get paid for this,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淚t takes a special person to want to do this. It means sharing personal time. You鈥檙e cooking a dinner and inviting the athletes to your house on a holiday with your family. It means being available 鈥� to answer the phone and talk to these kids, to listen to them, to cheer them on at a game, to let them sit down and watch TV without being bothered by life鈥檚 problems.鈥�

In the beginning, Willie and Amanda were primarily focused on spearheading the host family program for men鈥檚 basketball. They became increasingly involved with women鈥檚 basketball when their daughter Dayonna played for the Knights during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Pictured left to right: Willie Roberts, his daughter Dayonna Roberts, Willie鈥檚 wife Amanda Roberts and NPCC women鈥檚 basketball head coach Jeff Thurman participate in Sophomore Night at NPCC last spring.

Willie said the core group of host families that currently exists is strong.

鈥淲e鈥檝e also had a lot of support from the community along the way,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淚 had a farmer donate a whole beef to feed these kids. We made steaks for them one summer and gave hamburgers to the host families so they could invite the kids over for barbecues.鈥�

That support is why one of his goals is to incorporate the student-athletes into the community. Host families are encouraged to take student-athletes with them when they attend community events or participate in an activity that helps them feel vested in North Platte.

鈥淎 lot of these kids are from different backgrounds,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not used to this kind of love, and they have a shield, like I did. The best thing we can do for them is let them open up and be themselves. I would love it if my kids went to a college where there was a family that invited them to a meal and checked on them once in a while 鈥� not to be a parent, but to be there if needed.鈥�

Willie Roberts stands between two of the former NPCC students that his family hosted during their time in North Platte. The twins are from San Antonio, Texas. Pictured left to right are Loren Lealiiee, Roberts and Lexa Lealiiee.

Willie and Amanda keep in contact with many of the students they鈥檝e mentored over the years. They鈥檝e enjoyed watching them grow and find success, but for Willie, the host family program is also about coming full circle.

鈥淥鈥機onnor told me when I got recruited that when you get a scholarship, it鈥檚 like getting paid for a job before you even get it,鈥� Willie said. 鈥淗elping these kids is a way for me to pay off that scholarship. The college is what brought me to this place, and I want to give back because of what it gave me 鈥� my wife, my kids. Mid-Plains and this town have always been good to me.鈥�