Monday, August 11, 2003

By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League.

It was the first game of Chris Rogers' varsity career, and he was standing on the sideline, minding his own business just like other North Allegheny sophomore reserves. Then in the second quarter, Coach Jim Rankin walked toward Rogers and uttered two words. Rogers felt as if he was going to swallow his mouth guard.

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"You're in," Rankin said.

Talk about being thrown to the Wolverines.

North Allegheny was playing the highly regarded Woodland Hills Wolverines that opening night of the 2001 season. North Allegheny went on to lose, 25-0, and Rogers wasn't exactly dancing with Wolverines.

A defensive tackle, he played a good bit of the second and third quarters against star Woodland Hills offensive lineman Brian Borgoyn, a future Penn State recruit.

"I was stunned because I didn't think I'd play," Rogers said. "That game was at Woodland Hills and that place just freaks me out. It's eerie. They have those stone bleachers. Everything is right on top of the field and Borgoyn just manhandled me. He just laid on me and pushed me all over the place."

Rogers always will remember his varsity baptism. But these days, no one pushes him around.

He's now a North Allegheny senior. He has grown up and grown out. Now he does the pushing, and he has become one of the premiere players in the state.

Rogers is a 6-foot-3, 245-pound tight end-defensive lineman-linebacker who already has made a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan, turning down scholarship offers from many other Division I colleges. He has the strength of a gladiator, but enough agility that Rankin might use him as a wide receiver a few times this season.

"I think Rogers is great," said Jack McCurry, the coach at rival North Hills. "He has all the physical skills, but he has this intensity that you have to deal with. When you get guys who have skill and intensity, that's what separates them from other players. That's what Rogers has."

The funny thing is, he never expected to be among the elite. Although he showed talent and promise as a sophomore, Rogers didn't believe he was that good.

"I thought maybe I'd get lucky and a few schools would look at me," he said.

When Rogers committed to Michigan in mid-June, he also had scholarship offers from more than a dozen other major colleges, including Penn State, Pitt, Wisconsin, Iowa and Boston College.

"He is very unassuming. He never comes off knowing he's a real good player," Rankin said. "But when he was a sophomore, I told some of our assistants, 'He's the next big-time guy we're going to have.' He was just so strong, so fast and he had great hands."

Rogers has added 20 pounds since last season, when he had more than 70 tackles and eight sacks. But he hasn't lost any of his speed. At the Metro Index Scouting camp in the spring, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds. He also can bench press 350 pounds.

"I tried drinking those protein shakes a lot to put on weight. I even used creatine for about a month," Rogers said. "But the Michigan coaches told me I didn't need that. They told me to just eat well -- meat and potatoes -- and hit the weights. I've heard the stories where creatine can hurt your health. You're in high school. So I realized I don't have to do that."

The strength and agility is in Rogers' blood. His father, Bob, attended Pitt years ago on a gymnastics scholarship.

Michigan recruited Rogers to play on the defensive line, most likely defensive tackle. One scouting service, though, ranks him among the top 20 inside linebackers in the country.

"He'll be dominating this season on defense," Rankin said. "If anyone can block him consistently, then they're a pretty good player."

But Rogers also is an excellent tight end -- and one of the best punters in WPIAL Class AAAA.

"I don't really care if I play offense or defense [at Michigan], just as long as I play," Rogers said. "But if I had to pick a side, I'd say defense. You get to go after somebody on defense."

And there is something else Rogers is after this season.

"My biggest goal is for our team to make it to Heinz Field [for the WPIAL championship]," he said. "If I don't do what I'm supposed to do, we might not make it."

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