At Texas A&M University, Roper was one of the best to play defensively in school history according to his coach, Jackie Sherrill.
In his four years as an Aggie, they compiled a record of 36 wins and just 12 losses: three conference championships; and twice they were victorious in the Cotton Bowl.
A pulled hamstring in the season finale at San Francisco forced him to miss the playoff loss against the Dallas Cowboys.
He was also voted NFC player of the week, after registering 11 tackles, 2 sacks and one pass defensed in a 21–20 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
[3] It has been mentioned that Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson accepted the trade to help close friend Dave Wannstedt in his new job, with all of the players received eventually being waived.