.jpg) Statue of Rogers outsideWilliams–Brice Stadium | |||||||||||||
| No. 38 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1958-12-08)December 8, 1958 (age 66) Duluth, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Duluth | ||||||||||||
| College | South Carolina (1977–1980) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1981: 1st round,1st overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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George Washington Rogers Jr. (born December 8, 1958) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back for seven seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1987. He playedcollege football for theSouth Carolina Gamecocks, earningunanimous All-American honors and winning theHeisman Trophy in 1980. He was thefirst overall pick in the1981 NFL draft, and he played for theNew Orleans Saints and theWashington Redskins.
Rogers was highly recruited out of high school where he played for legendary coach Cecil Morris and decided to attend theUniversity of South Carolina when coachJim Carlen told him that he could play in his freshman year. Due to his large size, he seemed destined to play fullback rather than tailback. However, theGamecocks had two running backs who graduated at the same time, so he began his college career as the starting tailback midway through his freshman season.
Rogers rushed for 1,006 yards (playing in only eight games) during his sophomore year, despite splitting time with fellow sophomore Johnnie Wright. In Rogers's junior campaign, he had 1,681 rushing yards. After that season, he was given first-teamAll-American honors by theAssociated Press andNewspaper Enterprise Association,[1][2] and second-team honors fromUnited Press International.[3] He finished seventh in voting for theHeisman Trophy.
In 1980, the stage was set when the Gamecocks returned plenty of talent, which was headlined by senior and Heisman candidate Rogers. South Carolina finished the season with an 8–3 record. Rogers's 1,781 rushing yards was the best in the nation and earned him a spot as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
TheDowntown Athletic Club inNew York City named Rogers as the winner of the 1980 Heisman Trophy. Rogers beat out an impressive group of players, including Pittsburgh defensive linemanHugh Green and Georgia running backHerschel Walker. Rogers also earned spots on eight All-America teams, all first-team honors.
Rogers had his number 38 retired during halftime ceremonies at South Carolina's final 1980 home game. He was the first University of South Carolina player to have his jersey retired while still active at the school.[4]
Rogers left the Gamecocks football program as its most successful running back, and many of his records are still intact. His 5,204 yards is the highest career total by any Gamecock running back, and his 31 rushing touchdowns is tied with Harold Green for second. He is second on the all-time points scored list, with 202. Rogers rushed for over 100 yards in 27 games, including his final 22 college games.[5]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led Independents | |
| Led the NCAA | |
| Bold | Career high |
| George Rogers | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 1977 | South Carolina | 12 | 143 | 623 | 4.4 | 3 | 14 | 185 | 13.2 | 1 |
| 1978 | South Carolina | 11 | 176 | 1,006 | 5.7 | 6 | 8 | 41 | 5.1 | 0 |
| 1979 | South Carolina | 12 | 311 | 1,681 | 5.4 | 8 | 14 | 140 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 1980 | South Carolina | 11 | 297 | 1,781 | 6.0 | 14 | 7 | 23 | 3.3 | 0 |
| Career[6] | 46 | 927 | 5,091 | 5.5 | 31 | 43 | 389 | 9.0 | 2 | |
* Includes bowl games.
In the1981 NFL draft theNew Orleans Saints selected Rogers with the first pick overall (one pick before theNew York Giants selectedLawrence Taylor). He was the first of five Heisman Trophy winners selected by the Saints (Danny Wuerffel in1997,Ricky Williams in1999,Reggie Bush in2006 andMark Ingram II in2011 were the other four).
In hisfirst season, Rogers led the league in rushing with 1,674 yards, which set a record for rookies and is still the single season record for the Saints. He earned a trip to thePro Bowl and was selected as theNFL Rookie of the Year.[7]
Rogers spent his first four seasons in New Orleans. He played alongside quarterbackArchie Manning in 1981 and eventually running backEarl Campbell, who was brought in during the1984 season.[8]
On April 26, 1985, Rogers was traded to theWashington Redskins together with the Saints' fifth-, tenth- and 11th-round selections in the1985 NFL draft in return for the Redskins first-round pick.[9]
Rogers played three more seasons, all for theWashington Redskins. When he arrived in Washington,Pro Football Hall of Fame running backJohn Riggins was ending his professional career, while coachJoe Gibbs was trying to rebuild the team after the retirement of Riggins and quarterbackJoe Theismann.[10] Rogers had some of his biggest professional success in Washington, including aSuper Bowl title in1987, defeating theDenver Broncos, 42–10, inSuper Bowl XXII. Rogers retired due to nagging injuries after the1987 season,[11] ending his professional career with the Super Bowl victory. When he left the NFL, Rogers had rushed for 7,176 yards with 54 touchdowns in seven seasons. Rogers ranks second all-time toEric Dickerson on the single season rookie rushing yards record with 1,674 yards.
Rogers has cited injuries in his playing career as key to why he feels pain on a daily basis, which involves pain to his shoulder, shins, toes, and thumb; Rogers stated in 2009 that he played through concussions.[11]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1981 | NO | 16 | 16 | 378 | 1,674 | 4.4 | 79 | 13 | 16 | 126 | 7.9 | 25 | 0 |
| 1982 | NO | 6 | 5 | 122 | 535 | 4.4 | 38 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 5.2 | 10 | 0 |
| 1983 | NO | 13 | 12 | 256 | 1,144 | 4.5 | 76 | 5 | 12 | 69 | 5.8 | 22 | 0 |
| 1984 | NO | 16 | 16 | 239 | 914 | 3.8 | 28 | 2 | 12 | 76 | 6.3 | 15 | 0 |
| 1985 | WAS | 15 | 5 | 231 | 1,093 | 4.7 | 35 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 23 | 0 |
| 1986 | WAS | 15 | 15 | 303 | 1,203 | 4.0 | 42 | 18 | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 18 | 0 |
| 1987 | WAS | 11 | 9 | 163 | 613 | 3.8 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 8 | 0 |
| Career[12] | 92 | 78 | 1,692 | 7,176 | 4.2 | 79 | 54 | 55 | 368 | 6.7 | 25 | 0 | |
Following his rookie season with the Saints, Rogers testified to afederal grand jury during an investigation into trafficking by another Saints player, that he along with other teammates had purchased and usedcocaine during his rookie season with the Saints in 1981. He claimed to have spent more than $10,000 on cocaine during the season.[13] He checked himself into adrug treatment center forcocaine addiction in 1982. Rogers claimed after a clean urine test in July 1982 while still in rehab, that he had stopped using the drug.[citation needed] In April 1990, George Rogers was arrested along with two other men inColumbia, South Carolina. All three were charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession ofmarijuana.[14] All were released after posting $5,000bonds. Since then, he appears to have overcome those problems and works at his alma mater in public relations and fund-raising and speaks out against the drug culture.[citation needed]
In 1992, Rogers was named to the All-Century Team at University of South Carolina. He is a member of the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame,[4] theGeorgia Sports Hall of Fame, theCollege Football Hall of Fame,[15] and theNew Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.[16]
The road that runs along the north end ofWilliams-Brice Stadium was renamed in his honor and is now known as George Rogers Boulevard. A statue of Rogers was erected on the boulevard in 2015.[17][18]
On December 14, 2017, Rogers had another road named after him (George Rogers Avenue) in his hometown of Duluth, Georgia.[19]