Andrews retires Roper’s basketball jersey
Andrews – As Ken Solesbee spoke during Dr. Gary Roper’s No. 15 jersey retirement ceremony Friday night at the gym that bears his name, he apologized that it took so long to honor one of Andrews’ greatest athletes.
Roper, though, saw a different purpose in the ceremony. He never looked completely comfortable with the attention. Instead, he wanted to make sure he could thank the people who helped put his life on its path.
“The people in this community played such an important role in my development at a time in my life that could’ve gone vastly in a different direction,” Roper said. “There were some very important people in my life, especially coach Solesbee, that made a big difference.”
Roper said he grew up in “a difficult situation” in a mobile trailer park in Andrews. People like Solesbee – as well as athletic director Frank Maennle, who first coached at Andrews from 1979-83 before eventually returning to his alma mater in 2017 – pushed him in the right direction.
Roper graduated from Andrews in 1981 and was named Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year as a senior. He was also the valedictorian of his graduating class. Solesbee remembered him as a player with a tremendous work ethic, somebody who worked hard on the court as well as in the classroom.
“If I told him to do one thing 10 times, he’d do it 50 times,” Solesbee said.
Roper was recruited by several schools to play college basketball, including Georgia Tech. However, his heart was set on the University of North Carolina.
After going to a camp at Chapel Hill that featured future Tar Heels Michael Jordan and Buzz Peterson, an assistant coach told Roper he was good enough to play on the junior varsity team, but couldn’t promise anything more.
“I told him I’ll see you in the fall,” Roper said.
Roper played for the junior varsity team but practiced with the varsity team in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. During his freshman year, the Tar Heels won the national championship.
After not playing his junior year, assistant coach Roy Williams, who would later lead North Carolina to three national championships, told Roper if he could get in shape they would give him a scholarship for his senior year.
Roper did just that, appearing in 10 games for the Tar Heels during his senior year on a team that won a share of the Atlantic Coast conference regular season championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. His time in Chapel Hill overlapped with program greats like Jordan, Peterson, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith.
“That freshman year … that team they were so good and such good guys,” Roper said. “Coach (Dean Smith) could’ve rolled out the ball and said practice, and they would’ve done it. I’d never been a part of a team like that that was that disciplined. They were really good.”
After graduating with a degree in chemistry in 1985, Roper attended the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, graduating in 1989. In 1992, he returned to Andrews to practice medicine, which he still does.
“So many people played a role in my life, I thought I could come back,” Roper said. “I have tons of friends and tons of family around here, and I’ve been able to provide care for all these people and it’s been important.”
After years of giving back to the Andrews Valley, Roper finally was recognized by all the community he chose to help.
“It’s a great honor,” Roper said.