The Roman Empire

A year ago today, Roman Hemby was somewhat of an unknown name as a freshman on Maryland’s roster who appeared in just four games heading into the Terps’ Pinstripe Bowl appearance. In that New York City game, Hemby officially put himself on the map as he exploded for a pair of touchdowns—and that was just the start.

This year, Hemby has cemented himself as one of the best freshmen in the nation and a top running back in the Big Ten. His 1,130 yards from scrimmage rank third among all FBS freshmen and he is 26th in the FBS in yards per carry with 5.89. Additionally, he notched the most rushing touchdowns (three) by a Terp since 2018 against Northwestern this season, including a 75-yard game winning touchdown run with 3:22 left as part of career-high 24 carry, 179 yard game. He then scored another trio of touchdowns in Maryland’s regular season finale against Rutgers.

For Hemby, a lot of that success can be traced back to the increased workload he shouldered before and during the Pinstripe Bowl last season.

“The bowl prep was really huge for me,” Hemby recalled. “Coach Locks always talks about how it's pretty much the start of next season, so we’re able to get back to ground zero. It was really important for me last year to get those extra reps that I didn’t really get during the season. I got so much more comfortable with the offense and I was able to carry that over to the offseason and then to this season.”

Hemby quickly put everyone on notice during fall camp this year, standing out for both his consistent practices and his home-run ability in the open field.

“If he’s one-on-one with a safety, you can automatically assume the zebras are going to have their hands in the air at the end of the play and we’re going to be running down to meet him in the end zone,” offensive lineman Spencer Anderson said. 

Perhaps even more, however, Hemby separated himself with his character—something that has remained true all season. Ahead of Maryland’s Week Two game against Charlotte, head coach Michael Locksley offered strong words of praise about his redshirt freshman running back from Edgewood.

“He’s a poster child for what you want out of a Terp,” Locksley said. “He’s a guy that goes to class, he’s a guy that helps us on special teams, he does the dirty work that a lot of people don’t want to do…To me, that’s kind of the DNA of what’re developing as a team: a bunch of guys who are like Roman Hemby when it comes unselfishness and putting the team before yourself.”

And though few, including some of Hemby’s teammates, may have expected him to be this good, this fast—it isn’t all that shocking when you consider his work ethic and demeanor on a daily basis. 

“To be honest, I didn’t expect him to be as great as he was this year, but it's also not really that surprising, because he’s such a hard worker,” wide receiver Jeshaun Jones shared. “In his freshman year, we probably said two words to each other the whole season, that’s just who he is. He comes to work, he’s pretty quiet and he does his job very well everyday.”

For Hemby, that type of mentality stems directly from his upbringing.

“My father is one of those guys that doesn’t say too much, but he always does what he has to do and he provides for his family. I try to embody that now. I don’t always need to tell people what I’m doing, sometimes it’s better to do your work when no one is watching.”

In the same realm, Hemby’s grandmother, Charlene Cohen, was a major source of inspiration for how he now tackles football—even if she was too scared to go to any of his games out of fear she would see him get hurt. 

“She never came to a game, but she was always cheering me on and she had my back through everything,” Hemby recalled. “Growing up, she instilled in me the importance of doing my job and being a hard worker.”

Growing up five minutes down the road from her, Hemby was a frequent guest as a young kid at his grandmother’s house while his parents worked during the day. As he got older, he still saw her often, especially at holiday dinners where she would bring several of his favorite dishes as well as multiple gifts for all her grandchildren. 

As Hemby was developing into a star on the football field, Charlene was diagnosed with cancer, a devastating blow to Hemby and his family. Charlene battled hard for years, giving everything she could—though she would never let her family see the true hardships. 

“We saw her start to fall apart physically, but she never really had any doubt or regrets,” Hemby said. “She was always positive even with all the things she was battling. She put herself aside because she knew that we needed her.”

Charlene ultimately passed away while Hemby was a freshman in high school, leaving a painful hole behind but also serving as inspiration for him as a football player. 

“I’m here for a reason and I’m doing everything I can to show her that I saw everything she did and that she has a big impact on how I play the game today.”

It’s for that reason that Hemby dedicates every single touchdown—and he’s had 10 of them just this year—to her, pointing to the sky to reach out to her each time he reaches the end zone.

“When I get into the end zone, I’m pretty much asking her if she saw it and letting her know that it was for her,” Hemby said. “It makes me feel really good about myself because I get to do something that I love and I know that she’s proud of me. I just want her to always know how much of an impact she’s had on me.”

Charlene would certainly be proud of her grandson today as he stands just 76 yards away from a 1,000-yard rushing season. 

As per usual, Hemby isn’t overly concerned with the individual accolade, but instead appreciates what it would mean to the team as a whole, especially for the offensive line which designated having a 1,000-yard rusher as one of their major preseason goals. 

“As (the Duke’s Mayo Bowl game against NC State) goes, I’ll definitely be cognizant of it, but I won’t be stressing about it or anything like that,” Hemby said. “If it does happen, it will be a great thing not just for me, but for our whole offense and for our seniors.”

On the other hand, Anderson and the rest of the linemen are a little more outspoken about how much they want that accomplishment for Hemby.

“We’re going to be pushing hard to get him that 1,000 yards this bowl game,” Anderson said. “Roman deserves it and it’d be great for all us to be a part of that happening.”

Whatever happens in the upcoming Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Hemby’s freshman season will be one the Maryland faithful remember for a while. 

And though she isn’t physically here anymore, Hemby will have Charlene and her memory with him through it all.

“Whenever things get tough or I start to doubt myself, I think back to what she went through and it gives me strength,” Hemby said. “She’s a huge part of why I play so hard and why I’m able to do what I do because I feel like I’m glorifying her just a little bit by playing this game with her being able to watch me in heaven.”