Rogers Named AFCA All-American
12/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 5, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers, who caught a school-record 68 passes for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2002, has been named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team as selected by a nationwide panel of 28 NCAA Division I-A head coaches. The AFCA has selected All-America Teams since 1945.
The 25-man team features six players from the Big Ten Conference including Rogers, who becomes the first Michigan State player named to the AFCA All-America Team since offensive tackle Bob Kula and linebacker Percy Snow in 1989.
In 2002, Rogers became only the second receiver in MSU history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, joining Plaxico Burress who accomplished the feat in 1998-99. His receiving yards and TD catches represent the second-best single-season totals in Spartan history. Rogers, one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, led the Big Ten in receiving yards (112.6 per game) and TD receptions while ranking second in receptions (5.67 per game) during the regular season. He completed the regular season ranked among the NCAA leaders in receiving yards (ninth) and receptions (t-25th). Fifty-seven of his 68 receptions (84 percent) resulted in first downs.
With his 21-yard TD reception in the second quarter vs. Northwestern, Rogers set both NCAA and Big Ten records by catching a TD pass in his 13th-consecutive regular-season game and his 14th-straight game overall. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior from Saginaw, Mich., had six 100-yard receiving games in 2002, tying the single-season mark he set as a sophomore. He had a season-best 175 yards vs. Notre Dame (seven catches).
"It's a great honor to be selected to the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team," Rogers said. "I'm especially grateful because there were a number of worthy candidates at my position."
"Charles Rogers is an extreme competitor and that's what sets him apart from other receivers," Michigan State wide receivers coach Don Treadwell said. "There are a number of receivers that have great potential but few consistently take their game to another level. Charles performed at a high level on a regular basis because of his work habits.
"In my opinion, Charles had outstanding success because he had a great role model in Herb Haygood (Denver Broncos) in 2001. With Herb around, Charles couldn't afford to simply go through the motions at practice. Herb was truly a great leader and helped in Charles' development into a complete receiver. Herb pushed Charles to step up and make plays every day in practice.
"Charles is blessed with a lot of natural gifts, but he has a fifth gear that others simply don't have. He has the amazing ability to react to the ball in the air because of his range. Charles has great height, long arms and tremendous speed. That's why he made so many spectacular catches."
Rogers, who announced Nov. 25 his decision to enter the 2003 National Football League Draft, finished his career ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in touchdown receptions (first with 27), receiving yards (second with 2,821), yards per catch (second at 20.9) and receptions (third with 135). He produced a school-record 12 career 100-yard receiving games, including a Spartan single-game record 270 yards vs. Fresno State (10 receptions) in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic. Rogers accounted for 3,108 career all-purpose yards and his 29 career touchdowns rank seventh on MSU's career chart.
2002 AFCA All-America Team
OFFENSEWR Charles Rogers (6-4, 205, Jr.), Michigan StateWR Nate Burleson (6-2, 187, Sr.), NevadaTE Dallas Clark (6-4, 244, Jr.), IowaOL Eric Steinbach (6-7, 284, Sr.), IowaOL Brett Williams (6-6, 310, Sr.), Florida StateC Brett Romberg (6-3, 290, Sr.), Miami-Fla.OL Shawn Andrews (6-5, 345, So.), ArkansasOL Derrick Roche (6-6, 296, Sr.), Washington StateQB Ken Dorsey (6-5, 200, Sr.), Miami-Fla.RB Chris Brown (6-3, 220, Jr.), ColoradoRB Larry Johnson (6-2, 222, Sr.), Penn State
DEFENSEDL Tommie Harris (6-3, 280, So.), OklahomaDL Terrell Suggs (6-3, 252, Jr.), Arizona StateDL Jerome McDougle (6-4, 271, Sr.), Miami-Fla.DL Calvin Pace (6-6, 260, Sr.), Wake ForestLB E.J. Henderson (6-2, 250, Sr.), MarylandLB Boss Bailey (6-3, 229, Sr.), GeorgiaLB Bradie James (6-3, 248, Sr.), Louisiana StateDB Mike Doss (5-11, 204, Sr.), Ohio StateDB Shane Walton (5-11, 185, Sr.), Notre DameDB Terence Newman (5-11, 185, Sr.), Kansas StateDB Brandon Everage (6-0, 190, Jr.), Oklahoma
SPECIALISTSP Mark Mariscal (6-2, 200, Sr.), ColoradoPK Mike Nugent (5-10, 170, So.), Ohio StateRS DeJuan Groce (5-10, 190, Sr.), Nebraska
