Rogers and host of players set to meet the media at annual RRS Prep Media Day
Anthony Rogers shows off the pink gloves during a recent workout at G.W. Carver this summer. He will be one of several players to be at Garrett Coliseum on Tuesday. (File Photo)
By TIM GAYLE
G.W. Carver coach Bobby Carr already had a full roster when Anthony Rogers arrived on campus, but who could say no to the guy they call “Turbo?”
“He’s a unicorn,” Carr said. “His grades are good, his work ethic is tremendous, he has impeccable character and that says a lot about who he is. Everybody knows the hype he’s gotten and he’s a very unselfish player. He’s playing wherever we need him to play and that’s why I know6. he’s going to be a very successful young man one day, not just on the field but off the field as well.”
Rogers will join several local football players for Tuesday’s River Region Sports Prep Media Day at Garrett Coliseum. The event will include all of the local high school football teams in Montgomery, Autauga and Elmore counties. WTLS Radio will broadcast live beginning at noon. (link)
Carr’s problem is trying to find a way to get Rogers enough touches. With Sidney Lanier transfer Trey Berry in the backfield and highly recruited receivers T.K. Norman, Zion Crumpton and Niking Patterson ready to catch passes from quarterback T.J. Russell, “we’ve only got one football,” Carr noted, “so it’s about being a good teammate. And when your number’s called, taking advantage of it.”
Rogers certainly has the pedigree to expect more. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior helped Pike Road to a state championship as a freshman, became the featured back in a single wing offense as a sophomore and went to IMG Academy as a junior. He is rated 128th on the Rivals 250 list and has 32 offers despite committing to Alabama last June.
That was before Nick Saban stepped down as the Crimson Tide’s head coach. While Rogers remains committed to Alabama, he is keeping his options open.
“Right now, I’m committed but I’m still open to recruitment,” Rogers said. “I want to take a few OV’s (official visits) this fall and see what opportunities are out there and see what I want to do after that.”
For now, all of his focus is on Carver, a team that includes several athletes from other schools (such as Rogers), a group that transitioned from Sidney Lanier after that school closed in May and a group that is joining the team after playing in middle school.
“From the first day, it just meshed pretty easily,” Rogers said. “People thought it would be a lot of conflict but everything was good from the first day on.”
Just the idea of merging Carver and Lanier would have been met with stiff resistance in the past, but Carr said the rest of the city can learn from his players.
“When we first got here, you’re talking about a makeup of guys from different areas, different backgrounds, different races,” Carr said. “The city of Montgomery could learn a lot from what we’re doing at Carver. It’s been impressive, seeing these kids put their own differences aside and doing what’s best for the group. My goodness, from where we were to where we are right now is like night and day. You can see people buying in, trusting their coaches, trusting each other and when you’ve got an opportunity to achieve greatness.”
Rogers said his spring and summer went as expected following his return to the Capital City.
“I had high expectations coming in and everything I was expecting, it seems to be happening,” he said. “This team, we started off very talented but we had a lot of stuff we had to work on and we’ve been working it the whole spring and summer. Everything seems to be coming together.”
He missed some work in late June when he was invited to the 10th Rivals Five-Star, an event in Jacksonville, Fla., pitting 104 of the nation’s top juniors and seniors in competition against each other.
“It went great,” he said. “I had a flawless camp. I went undefeated in one-on-ones, blocking drills. I didn’t mess up any drills. I felt like I had a good day and I got better. It’s great being able to compete against the best of the best. It’s competition, but at the end of the day it’s still helping you get better.”
He’s been competing against the best of the best at Carver as well. Lanier transfer Trey Berry, who has 17 offers from colleges, has been spending much of his time in the backfield while Rogers alternates between receiver and running back.
“We’ve been using me as a slot receiver and at running back, too, just getting me the ball in space so I can make big plays,” Rogers said. “Getting the ball in space is fun, but running between the tackles, I don’t mind doing that, either.”
Carr can’t decide between Berry’s hard-running style and Rogers’ elusiveness and burst of speed that makes him one of the nation’s best. Both will attend Tuesday’s high school media day at Garrett Coliseum.
“Anthony and Trey Berry are two of the best athletes in the state,” Carr said, before amending his thoughts. “Not just the state, but probably in the country. They both can do so much. They’re a little different type of player, kind of a ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’ type. They’re special and we’re lucky to have them here at Carver. They’re both good teammates and very unselfish in doing whatever’s best for the team. It starts with them. And when your better players are even better people, that’s when you know you’ve got a chance to be special.”