Robbie Roper, an 18-year-old standout high school quarterback from Georgia, passed away unexpectedly in December 2021. Roper was considered a rising talent in football and was on the radar of several top college programs.
- Robbie Roper was a promising 18-year-old high school quarterback who passed away in December 2021.
- He had received interest from several top college football programs like Florida, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Michigan, and North Carolina.
- Roper died from a rare hereditary condition called urea cycle disorder, which his family revealed this week. The disorder causes a buildup of ammonia and other waste products.
- Roper suddenly became ill, was originally misdiagnosed at one hospital, and later airlifted to another hospital where he was put on dialysis but it was too late.
- He was in a relationship with his girlfriend Annie Bowers at the time of his passing. She posted a heartfelt goodbye message to Roper after his death.
- Roper had a successful high school career, passing for over 6,000 yards and 67 touchdowns over 4 years. His coach and college scouts believed he had a promising future in college and potentially NFL football.
Quick Info
| Age | 18 (at the time of his Death) |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Height | In Feet: 6 Feet 3 Inches Meter: 1.92 m Centimeter: 192 cm |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Weight | In Kilogram: 99 kg Pounds: 220 lbs |
| Body type | Athletic |
| Gender Orientation | Straight |
Robbie Roper died from a rare hereditary condition called urea cycle disorder
High school football star Robbie Roper passed away in December 2021 at age 18. His recent brain surgery sparked speculation about the cause. However, Roper’s family maintained the operation was unrelated.
This week, Roper’s father revealed to USA Today Sports that Robbie died from urea cycle disorder – a rare hereditary disease.
Only 1 in 30,000 people have this disorder, which prevents the body from removing waste from food digestion. The buildup of toxins can eventually damage organs like the brain.
According to medical experts, urea cycle disorder symptoms can take months or years to appear since the waste accumulation is gradual. This makes diagnosis difficult, especially in children.
“Sometimes these symptoms don’t show up for months or even years because it can take that long if it’s a subtle type of condition for the buildup to really start to affect the child. And you may see things like nausea, loss of appetite, they may have behavioral changes,” Reddy said. “The symptoms can be very subtle.”
James Roper shared that Robbie suddenly started vomiting and seemed confused. The first hospital allegedly accused Robbie of taking drugs, but tests disproved it. Further tests showed his ammonia was 4 times normal levels.
Robbie was airlifted to another hospital for dialysis to filter out the toxins. But tragically, the treatment came too late to save him. He passed away on December 22, 2021.
Robbie Roper’s Early Life
Robbie Roper was born in 2003 to parents James and Jennifer Roper. He had a bright future ahead of him as a talented high school football player. He also had one sister, Breanna Roper, she recently joined the Ole Miss softball team as a transfer from Georgia Tech, showing athletic talent runs in the family.
Just before his shocking death in late December 2021, 18-year-old Robbie celebrated Christmas and his grandfather’s birthday with extended family in Florida. He shared a room with his cousins, enjoying quality time together.
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Even during those final days, Robbie fielded recruiting calls from major college coaches like Lane Kiffin. He interviewed with the University of Florida on Sunday and seemed set to commit there according to relatives.
Education and Robbie Roper Early Career
Robbie Roper was an accomplished high school quarterback with a bright future. 247Sports reported he had offers from UMass, Morehead State, Morgan State, and Western Carolina. The University of Florida has also shown strong interest.
During his high school career, Roper passed for over 6,000 yards and 67 touchdowns while limiting interceptions to 23. In his senior 2021 season alone, he threw 37 touchdowns and 3,010 yards while rushing for 5 more scores.
Roper’s skills as both passer and runner caught the eye of numerous major college programs besides Florida, including Ole Miss, Pitt, UConn, TCU, Michigan, and North Carolina.
Roswell High coach Chris Prewett urgently requested prayers on Twitter when Roper was admitted to the ICU. The next day, his tragic passing at just 18 was announced.
Meet Robbie Roper’s Girlfriend Annie Bowers
Robbie Roper’s girlfriend, Annie Bowers, shared a heartbreaking goodbye on social media after his untimely death. She called Roper her best friend and soulmate, saying his laugh and love made her genuinely happy.
Robbie Roper, words can not describe how I’m feeling right now. I loved you with all my heart and promise to love you until the end. You were my best friend and I really don’t know how I am supposed to live without u but I know you’re watching over me everyday. The past 3 months have been the happiest I have ever been and it was all because of you. From cheering you on to just laying on the couch watching movies u just made me so genuinely happy. I would do anything to hear your stupid laugh again. You showed me what being in love truly is and i will cherish that forever. We will meet again in heaven one day but until then I promise to live the rest of my life for you. I love you Robbie Football! Until we meet again
She said (Source: Annie’s Insagram)
In her post, Bowers said she would always love Roper and live her life for him until they reunited in heaven. She cherished their happy 3-month relationship and vowed to keep his memory alive.
At Roper’s funeral service, Annie Bowers gave an emotional speech about her love for him. She promised to love Roper for the rest of her life and fulfill their dreams together.
“Robbie, I promise to love you for the rest of my life, and live for you,” Bowers said. “You always told me we were going to be together forever.”
