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StumbleuponWide receiver Rogers makes big gains in a little frame
The 5-11, 158-pounder ranks 14th in the nation in all-purpose yards with 183 a game.
Friday, September 12, 2008
OXFORD — One of the few plays that worked on offense for the Miami University football team in their 16-6 loss at Michigan last weekend was the kind of pass that can get a guy maimed.
It was the short, inside pass to a wide receiver cutting over the middle, that dangerous ground where linebackers roam.
"Yeah, it gets tight," Miami sophomore Jamal Rogers said. "You've got to be moving, be able to dodge."
Rogers has dodged his way directly into the NCAA individual rankings, where the 5-foot-11 158-pounder is 14th in the nation in all-purpose yards with an average of 183 per game.
So far this season, he has chalked up 91 receiving yards, 27 rushing yards and 248 kickoff return yards. At Michigan, Rogers caught nine passes for 78 yards.
"It was a surprise, a big surprise," he said. "I hope there's more to come."
Miami's coaches do, too, starting with the RedHawks' next game Saturday, Sept. 13, against Charleston Southern.
Rogers turned a lot of heads as a true freshman last year, catching 33 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 22.6 yards on 43 kickoff returns. His 973 kickoff return yards shattered the old record of 706 set by Milt Bowen in 2000.
This year saw Rogers role change slightly.
"I kinda figured I'd be catching a lot of inside balls when I was put at the inside slot," he said.
But he was prepared. He had been catching passes since he started playing football in Fort Myers, Fla. when he was 5 or 6 years old.
"I just liked catching the ball, I guess," Rogers said. "That's a playmaker's position on offense."
He also returned kicks at Cape Coral High School and later at Harmony Prep. That's where he got the real experience in dodging would-be tacklers coming from the opposite direction.
Miami's overall offense, unlike Rogers, is not off to a fast start. The RedHawks have scored one touchdown in two games.
Rogers said he doesn't think that will last much longer.
"We'll get better," he said. "Coach (Shane) Montgomery is pushing us every day in practice. He wants us to be the best."
