Johnny Rodgers

NFL player
Name=Johnny Rodgers


Caption=Johnny Rodgers and his Heisman Trophy
ImageWidth=150pix
DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1951|7|5
Birthplace=flagicon|USA Omaha, Nebraska
DateofDeath=
Position=Running Back
College=Nebraska
DraftedYear=1973
Career Highlights=Y
Awards=1972 Heisman Trophy
1972 Walter Camp Award
1972 UPI Offensive Player of the Year
1973 CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
1973-1975 All Canadian all star
1974 Grey Cup champion
1974-1975 Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (East MVP)
DraftedRound=1/ Pick 25
Stats=Y
DatabaseFootball=RODGEJOH01
PFR=RodgJo00
years=1973-1976
1977-1978
teams=Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
San Diego Chargers
CFLAllStar=1973
CollegeHOF=70060

Johnny Steven Rodgers (born July 5, 1951 in Omaha, Nebraska) was an American college football superstar voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.

College career

Nicknamed "The Jet" for his rapid acceleration and speed on the field, Rodgers was voted high school athlete of the year as a player for Omaha's Tech High.

As a player with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, Rodgers served as a punt return specialist, pass receiver, and running back. Rodgers broke virtually every offensive team record, was twice named to the College Football All-America Team and won the Walter Camp Award and the Heisman Trophy in 1972 as the most outstanding player in United States college football.

In his three years with the Cornhuskers, the versatile Rodgers established an all-purpose NCAA yardage record of 5,586. Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, who served as Nebraska's offensive coordinator in the early 1970s, wrote in his 1985 book "More Than Winning" that Rodgers had the greatest ability to return punts of any player he ever saw. Likewise, "College Football News" has described him as "the greatest kick returner in college football history." Rodgers returned seven punts for touchdowns in his college career, a feat that stood as the NCAA record for decades.

In 1971, in what has become known as college football's "Game of the Century," Rodgers returned a punt 72 yards to score the first touchdown which set the tone for his team's 35-31 victory over the University of Oklahoma Sooners. ESPN describes Rodgers' performance as "unforgettable." However, some observers consider his greatest single performance to be in the 1973 (post-1972 season) Orange Bowl when he led his team to a 40-6 victory over the University of Notre Dame. Rodgers ran for three touchdowns, caught a 50-yard pass for another touchdown, and threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to a teammate. He did all this before leaving the game with 21 minutes still to play.

Professional career

Although a 1973 first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers, Rodgers signed a lucrative contract to play for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League where he was affectionately known as the "ordinary superstar" (a nickname he coined.) Always a fan favorite, he won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1973. In his four years with the Alouettes, Rodgers won the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy twice (Eastern division MVP and CFL runner-up) and "All-Canadian" all star honors and helped lead his team to a Grey Cup championship in 1974. In 1977, Rodgers returned to the United States, signing with the Chargers. Hamstring injuries kept him out of the game for most of his first NFL season and the following year a freak knee injury sustained during team practice ended his career after only 17 NFL games.

Legacy

In 2000, Johnny Rodgers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also voted the "Most Valuable Player" in the history of the Big Eight Conference. For the new millennium, he was voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" by "Sports Illustrated". On the "College Football News" list of the 100 Greatest Players of All-Time, Johnny Rodgers was ranked #44. In 2007, he was ranked #23 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.

Personal life

Rodgers was reported to have become a devotee of Guru Maharaj Ji, head of the Divine Light Mission, in 1974. ["Rodgers Follows Guru", Associated Press, "Winnipeg Free Press", Friday, January 23, 1976]

Today, Rodgers is a businessman in Omaha, Nebraska where he operates a sports marketing company and bedding products manufacturer. He also works with his alma mater to encourage athletes who dropped out of school to return and complete their educations.

Rodgers has also authored a book entitled "An Era of Greatness" about the University of Nebraska football team during his playing days.

Johnny is currently creating a mentoring program for children with other football and sport professionals

References

External links

* [http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/Top_100_Players_44_Johnny_Rodgers.htm College Football News Player Rankings]
* [http://www.heisman.com/winners/j-rodgers72.html Heisman Trophy website for Johnny Rodgers]
* [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=70060 College Football Hall of Fame page for Johnny Rodgers]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/centurys_best/news/1999/10/06/cfb_allcentury_team/ Sports Illustrated NCAA Football All-Century Team]
* [http://www.geocities.com/cfl_historical/Rodgers_Johnny.htm Johnny Rodgers in the CFL]
* [http://www.blackathlete.com/artman/publish/article_02710.shtml Review of "An Era of Greatness"]