While Jaron Blossomgame is having an All-ACC caliber season, quietly helping out in the background is a senior who has been as unselfish as any as Clemson continues to push for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Quietly Jordan Roper has averaged 10.1 points and 3.9 assists per game during the Tigers’ 8-5 run in the ACC season. The senior dropped in 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting in last Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech which upped Clemson’s record to 15-10 overall.

“He is kind of one of those combo guards that can do a little bit of everything,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “He can handle the ball. He can come off some ball screens. You can run some stagers and things for him and he can make some shots. He is very fast and is a very good athlete. He is a guy that has continued to get better and has learned the game.”

He is a guy that has also learned how to lead, even if it is not in the conventional way. Roper isn’t a vocal guy. He does not get loud. But he has taken a major step as a leader this season. He leads the best way he knows how. Yes, he leads by example, but it’s not just that. He leads in the way he does everything.

First off, Roper is always smiling. No matter the situation he always brings a positive attitude, whether it is in practice, pre-game warm ups, on the court, on the bench or in the huddle. He is always positive. He is always trying to lift his team up.

Roper also leads with his work ethic. Like Brownell says, he is a combo guard. He is a jack of all trades and master of none. He may not be the best at what he does, but he can play multiple positions and can help his team out in so many different ways.

The senior is also a leader off the court. In the off-season he worked for Clemson athletics’ video and communication departments, where he learned about the other side of the sports business and sports communications. He also graduated in three and a half years, and is already working towards a master’s degree.

“I’m very proud of him. He is a great student,” Brownell said. “I think he has really helped our team. He has shown a maturity level that he has kind of grown into a little bit. He is not the loudest guy. He is kind of a quiet leader. He is just having a very good senior year for us. I’m really proud of him.”

Roper needs just 60 points to reach 1,000 points. It’s an amazing statistic considering he isn’t a guy that produces 15 or 20 points every night like Blossomgame. Instead, he has just gone about his business and has done it when no one has even noticed.

“Jordan has had a nice and quiet career here,” Brownell said.

Yes he has.