Johnny Rodgers
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| Johnny Rodgers | |
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| Born: July 5, 1951 Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Year(s): [[ NFL season|]]–[[ NFL season|]] | |
| NFL Draft: 1973 / Round: / Pick: | |
| College: Nebraska | |
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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."
[edit] Biography
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, he served as a punt return specialist, pass receiver, and running back. Rodgers wore the number 20. 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.
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 favourite, 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 he returned to the United States, signing with the San Diego 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.
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.
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 education.
He has also authored a book entitled An Era of Greatness about the University of Nebraska football team during the era in which he played.
In the summer of 2007 Rodgers began renovations of a property he intends to operate as a sports bar. It is located adjacent to Mutual of Omaha's Midtown Crossing development which is scheduled to be completed in 2009.
[edit] External links
- College Football News Player Rankings
- Heisman Trophy website for Johnny Rodgers
- College Football Hall of Fame page for Johnny Rodgers
- Sports Illustrated NCAA Football All-Century Team
- Johnny Rodgers in the CFL
- Review of An Era of Greatness
| Preceded by Pat Sullivan |
Heisman Trophy Winner 1972 |
Succeeded by John Cappelletti |
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This article omits details about Johnny Rodgers felony conviction for the armed robbery of a gas station, and doesn't include details of Rodger's history of drug use.
