For the first time since he was 6 years old, Bobby Rome II isn’t on the sidelines this fall as a football player or coach.
The former Granby High star quarterback is preparing for next season.
On April 8, Chicago State University named Rome as its first head football coach. The school is the first Division I football program in the Windy City.
“I always felt like I was someone who loves building things,” Rome told me earlier this week from Chicago. “I always felt like coaching is a mission calling, like a ministry. It was one of those things where I just felt like my calling was here in Chicago, and more specifically Chicago State. I heard they wanted to start a football program. I thought about my background and some of the things I’ve done, and I was like, ‘This would be perfect to what I would want to do.’ ”
Bobby Rome II, shown during a press conference to introduce Chicago State’s football program, was a four-year starter at quarterback for Granby High and went on to play in college at North Carolina. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Norfolk Christian in 2010.. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
He’s starting from scratch.
No coaches.
No players.
No equipment.
No uniforms.
No practice field.
And no stadium.
Rome, 39, spends each day checking off what needs to be done.
This week, he spent time ordering apparel.
Another day, he attended the president’s dinner. Another day, he met with potential donors and architects.
“It’s a lot going on,” Rome said. “It’s brand-new everything.”
He admits it’s been hard to not be on the sidelines this fall.
“It’s definitely a strange feeling,” Rome said. “Not getting ready for a game on Saturdays has been difficult.”
He has a son playing recreational football, so that helps — a little bit.
“I’ve been helping out holding the down markers,” he said with a loud chuckle. “Every now and then, I’ll sneak over to one of those (high school) varsity games to kind of scratch that itch.”
Rome constantly reminds himself that building a football program isn’t a sprint, but a marathon. And just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, he knows building this program will require patience.
“Your competitive edge, you want to be out there. But at the same time, you want to build something the right way. That takes time. It means creating a great foundation,” he said. “That was something that President (Zaldwaynaka) Scott and (athletic director) Dr. Monique Carroll made very clear when I first arrived was that we didn’t want it to be a fly-by-the-night program. They wanted something that was going to be sustainable long-term. In order to take those steps, you have to do things the right way.”
Former Granby star Bobby Rome II is now the new head football coach at Chicago State University.
Rome was a four-year starter at quarterback for Granby High in Norfolk. In 2004, he helped lead the Comets to a 7-3 record and the Eastern District title, which also was the program’s last district chmpionship.
He was ranked the No. 5 senior in South Hampton Roads by The Virginian-Pilot and ranked among the top 25 players in Virginia by The Roanoke Times. He was described as a “pro-style quarterback with a rocket arm.”
As a senior, he threw for 1,726 yards and 16 touchdowns and earned second-team All-Tidewater honors.
Rome had numerous scholarship offers, including from Michigan State, University of North Carolina, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Syracuse and Penn State.
He chose North Carolina, where he began as a quarterback, but later switched to fullback. While in Chapel Hill, he was teammates with many players who eventually became NFL coaches, including T.J. Yates, Joe Dailey, Arthur Smith and current Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
“We haven’t spoken yet,” Rome said about Johnson. “When I got here, he was just getting to Chicago. And he was just getting into minicamp. But we’ll definitely get together in the offseason. For both of us to end up in the same city is nothing but God. It’s amazing.”
He has, however, connected with Bears team president and chief executive Kevin Warren, who is excited to see a Division I football program come to Chicago.
“He told me, ‘Coach Rome, this city needs this. And the South Side needs this,” Rome said about Warren, who was the commissioner of the Big Ten Conference from 2020-23. “Together, not just me and him, but everybody in the city, we can make this thing happen. That’s something that I truly believe. And that’s what I’ve been saying. We got to make sure we hit it out the park.”
After playing briefly with the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, Rome played for the now-defunct Las Vegas Locomotives in the United Football League. He also played two seasons in Russia.
He got into coaching in 2010, beginning at Norfolk Christian as an assistant coach. He spent time at other places, including in Russia (2013-16). He was named the head coach at Virginia University of Lynchburg (2018-19), Central State (2020-21) and most recently at Florida Memorial (2022-24).
Then came the opportunity at Chicago State. He was selected as head coach from a pool of more than 230 applicants, including NFL, college and high school coaches as well as former NFL players.
“The university is looking forward to watching Coach Rome step into the role and build a program that makes Chicago State, the South Side and all of Chicago proud,” Scott said at Rome’s introductory press conference.
Chicago State will compete in the Northeast Conference, which includes Wagner (an 18-13 winner over Norfolk State last month). The Cougars will play a full Football Championship Subdivision season in 2026.
“It means a lot,” Rome said. “Chicago has always been this big city way out in the Midwest. To know we’re going to be the ones that bring the city of Chicago its first Division I football program, that’s something that we’re very proud of.”
He’s not a stranger to Chicago. He recruited the area when he was the head coach at Central State.
“There’s no way that people are covering the entire landscape,” he said. “So, I know there’s plenty of talent here.”
Evoto Former All-Tidewater quarterback and Granby High star Bobby Rome II is the new head football coach at Chicago State. Rome, who played football at North Carolina, will build a program from the ground up as the school’s first ever head-football coach. (Chicago State Athletic Communications)
For now, Rome is just trying to stay patient.
He is eagerly awaiting the green light to start hiring coaches and then recruit players.
He’s also preparing for the school’s Football Day of Giving on Oct. 22. That’s the big day where the school is seeking donations to help build Chicago’s first DI football program. As the announcement says, “Every donation matters, no matter the amount.”
Rome is excited, but he can’t wait to get back on the field.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that as soon as possible,” said Rome, who, along with his wife, Latosha, has four children. “With all of the football that’s being played right now, it makes it more difficult because you want to get out there and go. But the truth is, you have to make sure that everything is in line.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
