Romar Dennis through the eyes of the Bulls

Romar Dennis grew up in Huntingtown, Md. where lacrosse isn’t an “alternative” sport, as Dennis said. So, for as long as he can remember, Dennis played lacrosse, growing up in hand-me-down gear from his older brother Roberto Jr. It was a decision that made his father, Roberto Sr., who was a former New York Yankees minor league player, “furious,” Dennis joked.

By high school, Dennis wanted to go as far as lacrosse could take him. It led him to Loyola University Maryland, where he played in all 16 games his freshman year. He graduated from the program in 2017, having met net 55 times and adding 30 assists for the Greyhounds. 

Dennis’ professional career started with the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse in 2017. He spent two seasons in Denver — winning a championship in 2018 — before joining Chrome of the Premier Lacrosse League. After one season, he was traded to Atlas and has since posted 28 points (13G, 5T, 5A) in 21 games played.

Dennis stunned in the debut of the Championship Series, when the top four teams of the 2022 regular season battled in a six-on-six competition, called Sixes. In the five games played in the round-robin tournament, Dennis netted 15 two-bombs, adding four single-point goals and four assists. He took home the Golden Stick trophy for his series-leading 34 scoring points.

Although Dennis, standing at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, can truck through any defender, he’s seen as a gentle giant off the field, and a funny one at that. This is Dennis, through the lens of his teammates:

Eric Law, Atlas attackman: Romar would be ‘Most likely to succeed on a reality TV show.’

Trevor Baptiste, Atlas faceoff specialist: Ro could do any show. He could do The Bachelor or Love Island, for sure. When I think of Ro in any situation, he’s thriving.

Law: If he ever did go on one, he’d be the star. With his personality, his demeanor, he’s an incredibly nice guy so I think that’d come through on camera. He’d become America’s heartthrob.

Baptiste: Sometimes I tell him that. I’m like, ‘Bro you should get on one of these shows. You’d tear it up.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, I can’t do that.’

Daniel Bucaro, Atlas midfielder: I’d say Romar is ‘Most likely to be a comedian.’ That’s literally who he is. He is the funniest guy ever.

Steven Brooks, Atlas assistant coach: He’s sarcastically witty.

Law: He has a dry sense of humor and he’s a bit sarcastic on some things.

Baptiste: He’s very witty. He definitely has dry humor. He can do it all. He always knows exactly what to say.

Brooks: He’s very soft-spoken, very polite, but a comedian. At the Championship Series, him and Bucaro were bantering back and forth and all of a sudden Romar broke out into this accent. It was so funny and so witty but also sarcastic at the same time.

Koby Smith, Atlas long stick midfielder: He’s always going to be cracking jokes. He’s going to make light of any situation.

Law: Whatever TikTok trend that’s going on, he’s always imitating it, just in a short, little snippet.

Brooks: Romar is very quiet, so when you get to know him, his personality comes out and he’s almost like the team clown. Everybody’s around him and he’s always getting guys to laugh. He’s very soft-spoken at times, but he’s very bright as well.

Law: He’s got this big stature, physical guy, but he’s one of the more soft-spoken guys in the locker room.

Baptiste: I’m weary to say he’s soft-spoken, but he’s extremely humble. Talk about an amazing teammate. He’s a guy everyone in the locker room loves and wants to be around. I’m weary of softspoken because Romar is hilarious. He’s so funny. I can call him on any given day and he’d make me laugh for 30 minutes.

Bucaro: He’s never serious, except when games come.

Smith: In Catan games, too.

Baptiste: He does a good job of knowing when to be funny and when to be serious. He always knows how to lighten the mood in conversation off the field. On the field, he’s locked in.

Smith: Romar has that switch. It’s very, very uncommon in professional athletes. He can go from the field, where it’s super serious and he’s zoned in, but as soon as that whistle blows and the game’s over, there’s a smile on his face and his energy is bright. That’s one of the coolest things about him.

Brooks: I’ve been a huge fan of Romar since he’s been in the pro game, since his Outlaws days. I always loved how he played. We had an opportunity to pick him up and when I was on the Atlas coaching staff, I thought it was a no-brainer.

Law: I’ve been lucky enough to be teammates with Romar now for, I think this is year six. We had two years together with the Outlaws and then in the PLL, we’ve had three years together on Atlas, going into our fourth year together. I’ve been able to see Romar’s professional game grow and see the maturity of his game and confidence grow since his very first day as a professional lacrosse player.