Corinth’s Rodgers excited for future with Troy

“I just felt like Troy was home and that they can elevate my game to get me to the next level,” Rodgers said. “When I got there on my visit, everybody showed me love, and the coaches gave me a hug. The players showed me love as well, and when they were talking to me, it just felt like home.”

Rodgers also had offers from Southern Miss, where he was originally committed, along with junior colleges Coahoma, Mississippi Gulf Coast and Northwest.

His coach, Justin Dye, called him a special athlete.

“Chris started on our state championship team as a freshman, and he and Jay Cummings are the only two out of their class to start as freshman and still be playing ever since,” Dye said. “He was 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds then, and now he’s 6-foot-1 and 210. He’s exactly what they are looking for in a college football player at his position. He’s 6-foot-1, 210, runs a 4.4 and has a 40-inch vertical. He’s aggressive and doesn’t mind tackling. Everyone wants to play offense and run, throw, catch the ball or whatever, but Chris wants to chase people down and hit them. That translates well.”

Rodgers finished his senior season with 116 tackles, 72 of those solo, and 12 tackles for loss. He had three sacks, six passes defended and forced five fumbles.

He was also selected for the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game, which he played in earlier this month.

“I think that really elevated my game, especially when you’re not just playing against the top competition, but also practicing against them,” he said.

His postseason accolades were also numerous – Rodgers was voted the Daily Corinthian’s Defensive Player of the Year, the Defensive MVP for his division and Class 4A all-state first-team selection.

Dye said his work ethic has matched his talent level.

“In four years, he’s gotten better and bigger, faster and stronger,” Dye said. “I have three or four kids who have never missed a practice, and Chris is one of them. He’s here every day for everything, and it just translates really well in everything he does with his coachability and his attitude. It’s Christmas break, and he just signed a scholarship with a four-year university and he’s still worked out with me three days this week at 7 a.m. There’s not a lot of guys that are doing that right now, and that’s why Chris is where he is right now.”

Rodgers plans to spend the spring trying to continue to improve himself before reporting to Troy.

“I want to keep getting bigger, stronger and faster and continue to elevate my game so I can get adjusted to the college level,” he said. “I’ll be continuing to train with Coach Dye, lifting weights and running.”