QB Rodgers making his mark on, off field

The quarterback on the verge of becoming the state's most prolific college passer wasn't highly recruited.

In fact, Kevin Rodgers really wasn't recruited at all.

"I didn't have that many schools looking at me, some D-III and NAIA schools," Rodgers said. "Another Division II school in Texas, Midwestern State, was looking at me but even they dropped me after a while."

Rodgers, 6-2, 215 pounds, wanted to play college football, but his on-field accomplishments during his senior season at Rockwall-Heath High School in 2009 didn't stand out in a Dallas metro area dripping with quarterback talent.

Rodgers had several academic scholarship offers and it looked like that was going to be his path to college before he became aware of Henderson State, where Scott Maxfield's teams were beginning to draw attention with an offense that was similar to what Rodgers directed in high school.

"I came home one night and my parents were talking about Henderson. We looked online to check them out," Rodgers said. "So we emailed Coach Maxfield: 'Here's my film. Let me know what you think.' He emailed back almost immediately and said, 'We will offer. Call this number.'

"We set up a visit the week before signing day. I verbally committed and signed on signing day."

It turned out to be the only athletic scholarship Rodgers was offered.

Now, five years later, the Henderson State quarterback has passed for 10,484 yards and needs 275 yards against Nicholls State on Saturday to pass Arkansas State's Ryan Aplin (10,758 yards) and become Arkansas' all-time leading college passer.

"God wanted Kevin at Henderson State," said Mickey Moss, Rodgers' high school coach. "That's the only way I can explain it."

AN ACCOMPLISHED QB

Rodgers' accomplishments during his time in Arkadelphia, including last week's school-record 408-yard, seven-touchdown performance in one half of a 72-7 victory over Southern Nazarene, have been impressive.

He has been an NCAA Division II All-American, a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II equivalent of the Heisman, the Great American Conference male athlete of the year and a unanimous choice for GAC offensive player of year -- all of that in each of the past two seasons.

It's coincided with the most successful run in the football program's history. The Reddies are two-time defending GAC champions, have won 24 consecutive regular-season games and are 26-3 with Rodgers starting at quarterback.

"He's just a hard worker," Maxfield said. "He comes in here every day and works extremely hard. He does the things you need to do to be a good football player."

As good as Rodgers has been on the football field, he is also accomplished off it.

Rodgers is a good student, having graduated magna cum laude in December with a degree in finance and pursuing a master's degree in business administration. He was an academic All-American and the GAC scholar athlete of the year last season.

He also has been a model citizen by all accounts, quick to help out charitable works throughout the community. He was named to last year's American Football Coaches Association Good Works team and chosen as the team captain, representing the group at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

In short, he's a Boy Scout in shoulder pads.

"He is an exceptional kid, an exceptional person," Maxfield said. "He does a lot of things for our community, and he does a lot of things outside of football. He's a really good leader. He's somebody that draws people to himself.

"He's the kind of guy you want leading your team, and we're very fortunate to have him here at Henderson State."

Even Todd Knight, the coach at Ouachita Baptist, the Reddies' fiercest rival located just across the street in Arkadelphia, is quick to praise Rodgers.

"Kids like Kevin Rodgers, it's great to know that they're representing the game," Knight said.

LOST IN IN SHUFFLE

Rodgers grew up in an athletic family that placed a heavy emphasis on academics.

His father, Ted, played college baseball at Delta State, where an older brother also played football. His mother, Linda, teaches accounting, business and marketing at Rockwall-Heath High School.

"We always stressed the importance of academics to our children, and they responded to it," Ted Rodgers said.

Growing up in suburban Dallas, Rodgers said he was struck by the plethora of talented football players who starred at area high schools before moving on to college football and beyond.

"I kind of looked up to all those guys," he said. "I made it a goal for myself that if I ever get to that point I want to be a good influence on people, and that's what I've done."

Rodgers passed for 2,600 yards and 20 touchdowns during his senior season at Rockwall-Heath but still didn't grab the attention of college recruiters.

Getting recruiters to the area wasn't a problem. Getting noticed by them was because there seemed to be a Division I quarterback everywhere you turned. The metro area also was home to James Franklin (Missouri), J.W. Walsh (Oklahoma State), Scotty Young (Texas Tech/Louisiana Tech) and Luke Woodley (Louisville).

Moss, who played college football at Southern Arkansas, said Rodgers compared favorably to Nick Florence, the quarterback who preceded him and went on to break Robert Griffin III's school passing record at Baylor in 2012.

"They are both cut from the same mold, incredible quarterbacks," said Moss, who was Hamburg's head coach in 1994-1997 and led the Lions to the Class AAA state title game in 1997. "They each have a competitive fire about them in everything they do."

FITS LIKE A GLOVE

After a redshirt season, Rodgers began the 2011 season as the Reddies' backup quarterback.

He didn't step onto the field until the fourth game, when he came in to relieve starter Nathan Nall and threw two touchdown passes. He made his first start the following week against No. 6 Delta State, throwing for 292 yards and a touchdown in a 34-31 loss.

Rodgers picked up his first victory as a starter the following week at West Georgia, but two weeks later he threw three interceptions and suffered a concussion in a victory at Southeastern Oklahoma State. After sitting out a week, he threw three interceptions in a loss at Division I South Alabama.

The Reddies featured a strong rushing attack that season and a more pedestrian passing game -- at least by current standards -- but Maxfield gave fans a glimpse of the future in the season finale against Ouachita Baptist. That's when Maxfield unleashed his pass-happy offense under Rodgers, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 332 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-36 victory.

What has followed the past two seasons has been a dizzying array of video game-like numbers with Rodgers as the trigger man.

• Rogers has passed for more than 300 yards in 20 of 31 games, more than 400 yards 10 times and more than 500 three times, including a school- and conference-record 595 yards against East Central last season.

• He has thrown at least five touchdown passes in a game five times and a school- and conference-record seven twice, including last week in only one half of play.

• The Reddies have topped 60 points nine times in the past 22 regular-season games, 70 points five times and 80 points once.

Rodgers admits Maxfield's offensive philosophy is a blast.

"I have free reign to check the play, and the goal is to find the right play against whatever defense they give us," Rodgers said. "We're going to play with the numbers and play the game of football like it's meant to be played. Coach Max does a great job of putting us in position to do that.

"One of the main reasons we're successful is that we're able to adapt, play football on the fly, recognize and be football-savvy."

Rodgers didn't hesitate when asked if he has the entire playbook at his disposal each time he takes a snap.

"Yes, sir, the entire playbook," Rodgers said. "It's nice to have that trust."

Maxfield wasn't ready to go quite that far.

"I don't know about the entire playbook," said Maxfield, marking one of the few times he's pulled back on the quarterback's reins. "It's always good to have an experienced quarterback. He's a fifth-year senior, so he's going to be very familiar with our thoughts and our philosophies, as well as what we're going to do in certain situations."

EYES DOWNFIELD

There is one thing missing on Rodgers' resume. Despite the Reddies' success over the past two seasons, it hasn't translated into victories in the Division II playoffs.

HSU lost to St. Cloud (Minn.) State 40-35 in the first round of last year's playoffs, a year after losing to Missouri Western State 45-21.

" The playoffs are whole different animal," Rodgers said. "I've talked to a lot of people who have been there at all levels of football, including professionally, including coaches on all levels.

"We obviously need to win the regular season and not take any team for granted. But if we're fortunate enough to get to the postseason, then I think it's about not trying to do too much. Play the game that has helped you get there. ... It's a big game, but don't treat it like a big game."

Rodgers said he isn't ready to give up football once this season ends. His goal is to give professional football a shot, and he said he's talked to a lot of people and said that possibility looks good.

For now, though, he'll concentrate on his master's degree and posting more gaudy offensive numbers on the football field.

If there is one thing he's learned playing quarterback, it's how to read his options.

"I'm going to go to law school," he said. "I'm not sure that I necessarily want to practice law, but it's just another step in the process. It opens a lot of doors. I've got a plan."

Sports on 09/12/2014