Jacquizz Rodgers
From NCAA College Football Information & Resource
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Jacquizz Rodgers (born in Richmond, Texas) plays running back for the Oregon State University Beavers in the NCAA college football tournament. The diminutive Rodgers turned heads and dropped jaws during his high school days at Lamar after a record setting career highlighted by his high school team's state championship win in 2007. The younger half of Oregon State's Rodgers Bros. is now looking to take his act into the collegiate level where he will be hardpressed to face tougher, faster, and stronger defenders. But his high school coach believes Rodgers will breeze through his career at OSU much like he did as a Mustang, saying he won't be surprised if Rodgers will be among those considered for the Heisman Trophy 3 years from now.
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[edit] Personal Life
Jacquizz (Ja-QUIZ) is one of Tasha Williams four children, a bunch that include his older brother James, who also plays at Oregon State as a wide receiver. Quizz is also the nephew of Michael Lewis, who like him played for Lamar Consolidated as a QB, RB, and DB, and was a district MVP before going on to play in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers. Jacquizz had a tough childhood, growing up on a tough neighborhood under the watch of his mother and uncles after his father got imprisoned.
A native of Richmond, Texas, he was highlighted in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd feature of the May 12, 2008 edition. Jacquizz, who has yet to decide on his major at Oregon State University, has also spoken about the dangers of drugs at elementary schools in the Richmond area.
[edit] High School
Rodgers studied at Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg, Texas where aside from being a football standout, was also a four-year letterman as a point guard in basketball, and a three-year letterman as a relay runner in track. During his junior year, he rushed for 2,592 yards and had 52 total touchdowns to help coach Lydell Wilson's Mustangs post a 13-1 overall record and a 5-0 league standing. The following year, he starred for Lamar as the Mustangs made it all the way to the state finals after leading his team to a 33-27 victory over the New Braunfels Unicorns with his 33-yard touchdown catch in the third overtime. It was his fifth score of the game that put him on the record books as the owner of the state's all-time touchdown mark while also getting his name listed in the state annals as only the second player to eclipse the 8,000-yard barrier in rushing. In his final high school start, Rodgers rushed for 233 yards on 31 carries, scored three second-half TDs, and also put his body on the line while playing defense (blocking a kick and recovering a fumble) to lead the Mustangs to a 20-14 victory over Copperas Cove for the Texas Class 4A Division I state championship. He ended his senior season with 2,902 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns to claim the inaugural Texas Associated Press Player of the Year and the Texas Sports Writers Association 4A Offensive Player of the Year awards after leading Lamar to a 13-2 overall record.
Nicknamed by his teammates as “Mr. Touchdown,” Rodgers concluded his career with 136 total TDs (state record) and gained 8,245 yards (6th-highest total in the state) after rushing for 100-plus yards 41 times (2nd in Texas all-time) and for 200-plus yards 21 times. He also added several postseason accolades to his resume, including the Old Spice Red Zone and Built Ford Tough Player of the Year for Texas with selections into the EA Sports High School All-American and 2008 Parade All-American Teams. He was also picked as one of six Texas high school “scholar athletes of the year” and was a second team all-conference receiver and a second team all-state defensive back in 2007.
[edit] College
A four-star rated prospect and Scout.com's #22 running back recruit, Rodgers received offers from Oregon State, Arizona, Baylor, and Southern Methodist. He eventually chose to reunite with his older brother after giving his commitment to OSU in November of 2007.
[edit] 2008
During the preseason, Rodgers continued to compete with Ryan McCants and junior college transfer Jeremy Francis for the starting job at the running back position. He was listed as a back-up to McCants (and even as a third stringer) in the earlier depth chart releases. He did manage to impress the coaching staff at a scrimmage in fall camp where he shared most of the carries with McCants and amassed a total of 162 yards. He made his collegiate debut against Stanford, leading his team with 14 carries for 54 yards in the Beavers' surprising 28-36 loss to the Cardinal. The following week against 19th ranked Penn State, he provided one of the few bright spots for the Beavers after rushing for 99 yards and 2 TDs on 22 carries and catching 28 yards in the 14-45 loss to the Nittany Lions. In the home-opener against Hawai'i, he recorded his first ever 100-yard game after rushing for 110 yards and 2 TDs on 26 carries in the Beavs' 45-7 victory over the Warriors. Against No.1 ranked USC, Rodgers played like a veteran and rushed 37 times for 186 yards (5.0) and two touchdowns to lead OSU's 27-21 upset win over the Trojans and claim a couple of weekly awards, the U.S. Bank Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week and the CollegeFootballNews.com Player of the week honors just to name a few.
[edit] Highlights
| Jacquizz Rodgers Post-Game Interview vs. Hawaii Warriors. (2008) |
[edit] Achievements
[edit] 2008
- CollegefootballNews.com National Player of the Week (vs. USC)
- Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week (vs. USC)
- Rivals.com National Player of the Week (vs. USC)
- Rivals.com Pac-10 Player of the Week (vs. USC)
- U.S. Bank Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week (vs. USC)
- USA Today Player of the Week (vs. USC)
