OSV News – Well before he was a University of Maryland transfer who used his final year of college football eligibility to become a major success story as a running back at Indiana University, Roman Hemby said he owed much credit to John Carroll School for instilling vital Catholic values that guide him today.
Hemby, a Maryland graduate who grew up in Edgewood, is one of numerous transfers who have turned the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers – once known as the losingest program in top-level, Division I history – into a No. 1-ranked, unbeaten (13-0) powerhouse.
The Hoosiers, in part behind Hemby’s team-high 918 yards rushing, entered the College Football Playoff as its No. 1 seed. Indiana trounced No. 9 Alabama 38-3 in the CFP quarterfinal Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1. The Hoosiers now advance to the CFP semifinals and will play No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta Jan. 9.
Before joining Indiana, Hemby was part of four up-and-down seasons at Maryland, where he played in 42 games over four seasons and ran for a total of 2,347 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. He also caught 112 passes for 921 yards and five scores.
But the Terps never contended in the Big Ten Conference and managed a combined overall record of 27-24.
“I would not be (at Indiana) without Maryland. I definitely would not be here without John Carroll. My high school helped me to see the kind of heights I could reach,” said Hemby, who drew interest from big-time football schools such as Georgia, Texas Tech and Tennessee, after he entered the NCAA’s transfer portal in late December 2024.
The portal is a digital database where college athletes declare their intent to transfer, allowing other schools to recruit them.
Indiana was the only school he visited. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Maryland before his final college football season at Indiana.
Under first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti in 2024, the Hoosiers produced a record of 11-2 and made their first-ever appearance in the CFP. Cignetti has been honored following the last two regular seasons as The Associated Press Coach of the Year.
“Roman’s agent said there were six teams waiting for him to hit the portal. Thankfully, Cignetti came calling,” Charleena Hemby, Roman’s mother, told the Catholic Review, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Based in Bel Air, where John Carroll has existed for 61 years, the independent Catholic school has played a transformational role in Hemby’s life.
Since its establishment in 1964 by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, John Carroll has provided an educational experience rooted in the Catholic tradition. The school is committed to inspiring students to realize their full potential with its vibrant athletic program, academic rigor and dedication to community service.
“(At John Carroll) it started with the faith piece – in the classrooms and conversations and relationships that helped me be the kind of person who would keep Christ at the center of my life,” Hemby said.
“I had the utmost faith that things would work out. The atmosphere at John Carroll let me know that God had a plan for me,” he added. “When you’re part of a family like John Carroll, you have people who really look out for your best interests. You see the love of God and you want to help others.”
While he was attending Maryland, Hemby put his giving thoughts into action. He started a youth football camp several years ago. The John Carroll administration offered their facility for use at the summer camp, which has grown in popularity.
“I don’t think anybody (at John Carroll) has ever said anything about Roman that wasn’t glowing,” said Seth Goldberg, the former athletics director at John Carroll who coached Hemby as a sophomore on John Carroll’s varsity basketball team he still coaches.
Hemby gave up basketball to focus solely on football after that sophomore season. But the impression he made nearly a decade ago has stuck with Goldberg.
“Roman is a hard worker. Great smile, high character, great kid, great teammate. I saw the same things show on the football field,” Goldberg added. “He doesn’t get discouraged. He is built on caring about others and giving back. He controlled what he could, which is usually an indicator about how successful somebody can be.”
Following a disappointing, 4-8 season at Maryland in 2024, Hemby envisioned himself as a Terp starter for one more season, before getting a chance to take his talent to the NFL.
But Maryland coach Mike Locksley stunned him in a postseason exit interview by strongly advising Hemby to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and start over with a change of scenery to enhance his NFL chances.
“It hurt my heart to leave Maryland. My family saw it as a blessing before I did. I started looking at it like God opened a door for me, while closing another,” Hemby said. “I haven’t looked back since.”
Charleena Hemby looks at her son’s future with hope and pride in how he has grown during his one-year experience a long way from home in Bloomington. And her fondness for John Carroll will always be strong.
“John Carroll not only invested tirelessly in Roman’s growth as a student-athlete, but pushed him to be a well-rounded man, fueled by his faith and commitment to give back to communities that played a role in his upbringing,” she said. “His success on and off the field is directly tied to his time at John Carroll.”
Gary Lambrecht writes for the Catholic Review, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This article was published in Catholic Review and distributed in partnership with OSV News.
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