University of Massachusets Athletics
Rogers Travels Different Path to UMass
December 16, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2002
Jackie Rogers' athletic career has been full of change. As a high school senior, Rogers was a heavily recruited All-American football player, but opted to pursue a basketball career instead. Despite being recruited by perennial powerhouse Syracuse University, Rogers felt he needed a change of scenery from his hometown of Syracuse, N.Y., and headed to The Winchendon (Mass.) School, where he played for UMass alum Mike Byrnes.
From there, he accepted a scholarship to play basketball at West Virginia. However, after one season, Rogers left West Virginia to play at Barton County Community College in rural Kansas. After earning his two-year degree at Barton County, Rogers was on the move again, this time heading to Amherst and the University of Massachusetts.
For those of you scoring at home, that's three schools in three years for the personable Rogers. But change was still coming Rogers' way, as James "Bruiser" Flint was replaced following the 2000-01 campaign by Steve Lappas, marking Rogers' fourth different collegiate coach.
After electing to redshirt last season in order to complete his degree in the same year that his eligibility ended, Rogers, this year's co-captain, is back to help the Minutemen reek havoc on the competition.
Despite watching all of last season from the bench, Rogers believes that sitting out drastically improved his game. "Sitting out helped me because I had the chance to get stronger physically, work on my overall game, and work on my jump shot. Some games I really wanted to be out there, but that just made me work harder and harder," he said.
"I believe [redshirting] was great for him because he was able to learn our style without having to worry about playing in the games," said Lappas. "Jackie improved just by practicing and from our individual instruction. I believe he is a much improved player from what I've seen."
The year off also allowed Rogers to learn Lappas' motion offense, a system far different from the one he learned during his first season as a Minuteman.
While Rogers is known for his gritty and relentless play, he will be the first to admit that he leaves the trash-talking off the court and lets his actions speak louder than his words. "My role this year will be to bring more energy on the court. I try to bring that energy to practice everyday, but I really don't say too much though. I just let my actions on the court show how I can play," said Rogers.
Rogers' unmistakable aggressive style of play can be seen every time he steps onto the court. Prior to coming to UMass, Rogers and former UMass All-American defensive back, Jeremy Robinson, both played football at Syracuse's Corcoran High School. Rogers credits his strength under the boards to his football training.
["Football] was a much more physical game. I try and bring that toughness to the court," said Rogers.
For Rogers, defense will be the name of the game this season.
Senior Micah Brand, the team's other co-captain, acknowledges that while Rogers is quiet on the court, his fearless attitude has been the key to his success.
"Even if there is somebody on the other team that has Jackie beat talent-wise, his aggressiveness and constant will to get things done is why he comes out on top a lot of times. It doesn't matter if the other guy is 6-10, 300 pounds, Jackie is going to come at you the same way every game," said Brand.
Rogers' basketball career truly began to evolve at Barton County, where he averaged a team-high 18.2 points per game and helped the Cougars to a 32-2 record. After leaving Barton County, Rogers chose to play for Flint and the Minutemen over Louisville, Michigan, and St. Bonaventure. In his first season at UMass, Rogers averaged 6.6 points a game despite being troubled by a foot injury early in the season.
Playing behind such big men as Kitwana Rhymer, Eric Williams and Brand, Rogers was still able to become UMass' third-leading rebounder. Over the second half of the season, he was one of the team's most reliable offensive weapons, hitting a team-best 55.3 percent from the field, the highest mark for a Minuteman since Lari Ketner's 55.7 percent effort during the 1996-1997 season. Rogers capped off his year by receiving the team's Sixth Man Award given at the end of the season.
Another change for Rogers this season will be taking on the role of team captain, a responsibility that Rogers is eager to undertake. "This year, I'm going to show more energy on the court. I want to show more leadership as well, especially since we have so many young guys. I want to show them what they need to do and how to get it done," said Rogers.
While Rogers has only played one season at UMass, Lappas believes that experience is important when choosing captains. "As a senior, he's been around the block a couple of times. Especially this year since we have a young team. Since he has a lot of experience and the younger players like him, I thought that was a perfect combination," said Lappas.
Despite all the changes he has encountered over his collegiate career, Rogers' focus this year is as clear as ever.
"This year I'm really looking forward to winning the A-10 and getting a trip to the Big Dance. That's the main focus and main goal this year. We want to get that bid. I want to get UMass back on the map again," said Rogers.