Ex-Vol wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers enrolls at Tennessee Tech
By Dane Brugler
Not even a week after he was removed from the Tennessee roster, wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers has enrolled at Tennessee Tech and is expected to be eligible for the Golden Eagles' season opener this Thursday against Hampton. A former top high school recruit out of Calhoun, Georgia, Rogers was suspended indefinitely by Volunteers' head coach Derek Dooley on August 23 for a violation of team rules and was expected to miss the entire season.
“I see it as a new beginning,” said Rogers in a statement released by the school. “All the coaches and players have been welcoming. The Athletic Director has been nice. Everybody has welcomed me with open arms and that's been a big thing. It seems to be like a family.”
With Rogers and Justin Hunter, Tennessee had one of the nation's top wide receiver duos last season, but after Hunter went down with an injury, Rogers had a breakout sophomore season, leading the SEC in receiving. He finished with 67 catches for 1,040 yards and nine scores, earning First Team All-Conference honors. Rogers' talent on the field is obvious, but it's his reliability off the field that clouds his NFL future. As Rob Rang pointed out last week at the time of Rogers' suspension, Tennessee has had issues with his “poor attitude” in the past including several run-ins with the coaching staff.
Rogers has two years of eligibility remaining, but will be three years removed from high school and able to enter the 2013 NFL Draft if he so chooses. He is currently rated as NFLDraftScout.com's No. 5-rated wide receiver for the 2014 NFL Draft and his talent warrants a top-100 draft pick. However, his troubled past will follow him to the next level and create doubt in the minds of NFL decision makers. Like Janoris Jenkins and several others, Rogers has a chance to rebuild his character at the FCS-level, but he must stay out of trouble at Tennessee Tech.
The Golden Eagles, who went 7-4 and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history last year, lost their top receiving target from a year ago (Tim Benford). Entering his sixth season as head coach, Tennessee Tech's Watson Brown expressed his excitement to add Rogers to the roster.
“We're excited to have him and look forward to working with him,” Brown said. “It's a unique situation for me, but we know he's a good kid. He knows a couple of the players on our team, and we know his high school coach (Hal Lamb), and we're going on their recommendations.
Rogers attended Calhoun high school with quarterback Tre Lamb and running back Adam Urbano, both seniors for the Golden Eagles.
“After meeting with Da'Rick and his family, I can see what everybody is saying about him,” Brown added. “We've met with Da'Rick and he understands our expectations.”
