WASHINGTON — On Saturday, the Ravens dismantled the Houston Texans during their divisional playoff game. Baltimore is now only one win away from reaching the Super Bowl. But that's not what sent Ravens' fans flocking to social media.
Football fans watching ESPN's broadcast saw a man in the stands with a striking resemblance to the late civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At the time, no one knew anything about the Ravens fan. But after millions of views and clicks later, Wardell Roberts has become a celebrity over night.
"I'm charging the phone more than normal now." Roberts jokingly told WUSA9 Sports Anchor Desmond Purnell.
Following the Ravens victory on Saturday, the Frederick, Maryland native went viral for looking like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Everyone has been commenting on social media," Roberts said. "Everyone has been sending me messages. It's all been positive, but I never envisioned what would happen after I left the game on Saturday."
Roberts told Purnell before Saturday, he rarely heard the comparison between he and King. That's why when Dr. King's youngest daughter, Bernice King, acknowledged the resemblance - he was overcome with gratitude.
"I'm just glad Bernice was able to find some humor in this, over the weekend, Roberts said. "The posts went extra viral once she acknowledged it. It's just an honor to be mentioned with someone like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of everything he stood for. MLK is important in my household. I have three boys that are mixed. So it's important that they understand their Black history as well."
Roberts plans on attending Sunday's AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. He says he is not concerned about his newfound fame. He wants all the attention to be on the field as his favorite team prepares for one of their most important games in franchise history.
"We're back." Roberts said. "We're ready to make a deep playoff run which means beating the Chiefs on Sunday, going to The Super Bowl and hoisting up that Lombardi Trophy."
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