2010 Heisman Hopefuls: Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State
For Oregon State football fans, success was something rarely seen. Prior to Dennis Erickson’s first season in 1999 when they went 7-5, it had been 29 years since the Beavers had won more than they lost (1970, 6-5).
It is amazing what a little success can do for a program. Erickson went on to go 31-14 in four seasons, going to three bowl games and finishing the season ranked 4th in 2000 (11-1). Mike Riley returned after Erickson moved on and has been able to take the momentum that Erickson started and continue to field quality teams over the last seven seasons.
As success breeds success, like it obviously has in Oregon State, better and better players are gravitating to the Pacific Northwest. One such player is sophomore running back Jacquizz Rodgers, whom the state of Texas has to be upset for losing, especially if he lives up to the hype and becomes the first player from Oregon State to win the most coveted individual honour in college football, the Heisman trophy.
High School
Review the statistics that Rodgers accumulated in high school and one has to wonder if it was his short stature that scared Texas schools away from him. Standing just 5’7” and weighing around 190 pounds, the diminutive running back proved that good things can come in small packages.
Rodgers wasted no time showing what he had. As a sophomore for Lamar Consolidated High School in Texas he averaged close to 10 yards a carry on the way to 2278 yards on the ground and 34 touchdowns. If he had just maintained that pace he would have still stood out among the best in the state, but instead he improved on those numbers; as a junior he rushed for 2592 yards and scored 50 touchdowns.
His senior season was a great indicator of what college teams had in store for them with Rodgers in their backfield. On the way to winning the 4A state championship in 2007 he rushed for 2890 yards and 37 touchdowns along with another 556 yards through the air and five touchdowns.
Rodgers also proved that when the stage was the biggest he could still shine. In the state championship game he carried the ball 31 times for 233 yards and three touchdowns. In case teams were wondering about his versatility he also blocked a point after attempt, recovered a fumble, and made six tackles on defence.
Over the span of his career he rushed for 8246 yards, improving each season, and set a state record for career touchdowns with 135 (in three seasons as a varsity player).
College
As could be expected, a player with his high school resume was highly sought after by a number of colleges. Among those showing interest were in-state universities Houston, Baylor, and SMU along with Illinois, Arizona, and Louisiana Tech. He passed up all those schools to join his brother in Corvallis at Oregon State.
It would not take long for Rodgers to ascend to the starting position after starting the season in second on the depth chart. As a freshman he would break the freshman rushing record for the PAC-10 1253 yards on the ground. He just missed out on being the PAC-10 leading rusher (to California’s Jahvid Best) when an injury caused him to miss the game against the school rival (as well as the Sun Bowl). Along with the 1253 yards on the ground he would score 11 touchdowns and add another 247 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Like in high school he would get better the following season. As a sophomore Rodgers started off with a 103 yard effort and three touchdowns. By season’s end he would gain 1440 yards (with seven 100+ yard games) and 21 touchdowns. He would add an additional 522 yards and one touchdown in the air.
Looking back on Rodgers's history, the 2010 season should make him a likely player to at least vie for the Heisman candidacy.
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