Charles Rogers (2021) - Hall of Fame - Michigan State University Athletics

Charles Rogers

Induction:
2021
Class:
2002

Charles Rogers
Football (2001-02)
Saginaw, Mich.
MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021

HIGHLIGHTS:
• 2002 Biletnikoff Award winner
• Consensus First-Team All-American (2002)
• 2003 MSU Male Alderton Athlete of the Year
• MSU's all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 27 in just two seasons (2001-02)
• Holds top-two MSU single-season receiving totals for yards (1,470 in 2001; 1,351 in 2002)
• No. 2 overall pick in 2003 NFL Draft (Detroit Lions)

HALL OF FAME FEATURE: CLASS OF 2021

In just two seasons wearing the Green and White in 2001 and 2002, Charles Rogers rewrote the Michigan State record book and became one of the greatest wide receivers in school history.

A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Rogers is still MSU's all-time leader in touchdown catches with 27 and ranks third in school history in receiving yards (2,821) and eighth in catches (135) – even though he only played in 24 collegiate games. He still owns the top-two MSU single-season marks for receiving yards (1,470 in 2001 and 1,351 in 2002) and TD catches (14 in 2001 and 13 in 2002), and his 20.90 yards per catch during his career ranks second in the school record book, trailing only College Football Hall of Famer Kirk Gibson (20.96).

Rogers has six of the top-20 single-game receiving performances in Spartan history, including a school-record 270 yards against Fresno State in the 2001 Silicon Valley Bowl. In addition, he produced a school-record 12 100-yard receiving games in his career and is the only Spartan to record multiple 200-yard receiving games. Rogers was recently named to FOX Sports' All-Time Big Ten Team, which was released in July 2021.

Rogers passed away at the age of 38 in 2019, but is still revered by his teammates.

"Charles was a special player – athletically, he was phenomenal," said former teammate Lorenzo Guess, who is now the associate head strength and conditioning coach for the Spartans. "His energy was awesome, and he really loved the game and his teammates. He was very loyal to everyone he played with and he had tremendous respect from everybody. He was a real person. Sometimes you might have the best player on the team and people don't relate to him, but Charles related with everybody."

A five-star recruit, Rogers arrived in East Lansing as one of the most decorated prospects in the history of the program. He was rated the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2000 by ESPN.com after recording 126 receptions for 2,644 yards (21.0 avg.) and 39 TDs as a three-year starter at Saginaw High School. As a senior in 1999, Rogers caught 40 passes for 760 yards (19.0 avg.) and 14 touchdowns and had a 60-yard TD reception in the Division 2 state championship game, helping Saginaw to its only state football title with a 14-7 win over Birmingham Brother Rice. He also won four individual state track titles, including the 200 meters in 2000, 400 in 1999 and 100 and 200 in 1998.

After sitting out the 2000 season, the 6-4, 205-pound Rogers made his debut in 2001 and made an immediate impact. He set MSU single-season records for receptions (67), receiving yards (1,470), touchdown receptions (14) and 100-yard receiving games (6) in his first year on the active roster. He also became the first Spartan receiver to average at least 20.0 yards per catch (21.9 avg.) since Andre Rison in 1988 en route to earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media. In MSU's 17-10 win at Notre Dame on Sept. 22, Rogers caught a third-and-6 pass from Ryan Van Dyke and sprinted 47 yards before diving into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

"I had to go against him in practice all the time," recalled Guess, laughing. "He was the fastest person I've ever gone against. During one practice, we were in cover-one and he went in motion, and I'm coming toward the line of scrimmage, and the ball was snapped, so he's coming toward me, and I'm coming toward him. And before I knew it, he ran right past me. I'm chasing after him, and I'm like 'please overthrow it, please overthrow it' and luckily it was overthrown. He had game speed…He caught a slant at Notre Dame (in 2001) and just took off and outran everybody (for the game-winning touchdown)."

As a junior in 2002, Rogers became the first Spartan to win the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's best receiver. Despite being the focus of opposing defenses, Rogers broke his own school record with 68 catches for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns and was a consensus All-American, first-team All-Big Ten selection, team MVP and Alderton Award winner (MSU Male Athlete of the Year). He graced the cover of The Sporting News in September 2002 with the headline, "Meet College Football's Best Player," and had four consecutive 100-yard receiving games to start the season. Rogers had eight receptions for a season-best 175 yards vs. Notre Dame on Sept. 21, including an acrobatic catch in the end zone late in the fourth quarter that is remembered as one of the best in Spartan history.

During his record-breaking season in 2002, Rogers became only the second receiver to MSU history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, joining Plaxico Burress, who accomplished the feat in 1998-99. Rogers led the Big Ten in receiving yards (112.6 per game) and TD receptions (13), while ranking third in receptions (5.67 per game). He also ranked among the NCAA leaders in TD catches (third with 13), receiving yards (eighth with 1,351) and receptions (tied for 27^th with 68). Fifty-seven of his 68 receptions (84 percent) resulted in first downs.

With his 21-yard TD reception in the second quarter vs. Northwestern on Sept. 28, 2002, Rogers set both then NCAA and Big Ten records by catching a TD pass in his 13th consecutive regular-season game and his 14th straight game overall. He also had six 100-yard receiving games, tying the single-season mark he set as a sophomore.

"You know a guy is good when another team double-teams you at the line of scrimmage," recalled Guess. "That's when you know a guy is good. He was like a walking highlight. He was good, everyone knew he was good, but he was still down to earth. That's why everybody loved him. He was the best player in the country at his position, and you couldn't tell hanging around him and talking to him."

After his All-America career at Michigan State, Rogers was selected No. 2 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2003 National Football League Draft. He became only the fourth Spartan player to be picked second overall in the history of the NFL Draft, joining quarterback Earl Morrall (1956, San Francisco 49ers), running back Clinton Jones (1967, Minnesota Vikings) and offensive tackle Tony Mandarich (1989, Green Bay Packers). Rogers spent three seasons (2003-05) in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.