Despite a 42 point lead and an imminent pick-six, Casey Rogers wasn’t celebrating. At least, not yet. 

After intercepting an Eastern Washington pass, his teammate Trikweze Bridges seemingly had a lane to the end zone. However, as Bridges approached the goal line, he tripped over his own feet and the ball spat out. Rogers’ instincts kicked in. His humility proved valuable. In a split second, he channeled a philosophy that had been ingrained in him since he was a child, one his father endlessly preached.

“Pursue the ball and you’ll put yourself in the right spot,” his father, Lelan Rogers, would say. 

Rogers always listened. However, he couldn’t have predicted the advice would lead to his first collegiate touchdown. Yet, there he was, emerging from the pile in the end zone. The ball raised in his right hand as proof to the official that he had recovered Bridges’ fumble. 

It was time to celebrate. Credit to his father’s lesson. 

Heeding those words often guided Rogers into advantageous positions. In other words, following the ball meant trusting his gut. On Sept. 10, it put him in a spot to corral the loose ball. It’s why he sought out the University of Oregon after entering the transfer portal in April. It’s why, as a kid, he had a knack for a variety of sports, and retained those skills, ultimately applying them to football.

His father’s words weren’t baseless. Lelan knew what he was talking about. His life revolved around a ball for longer than his son had been alive. He was named an assistant lacrosse coach at the University of Syracuse in 2007, where he would remain for the following 14 seasons, before earning a head coaching position at Utica University in 2022. 

His love for lacrosse influenced Rogers to give it a try. It became his first sport. A natural athlete, it didn’t take long for him to develop his skills. 

“He always had a lacrosse stick in his hand,” Lelan said. “So he was a little above the curve.”

As a coach’s son he had an advantage in lacrosse. But that athletic ability, that likening he took to ‘being around the ball,’ translated to each sport he pursued. At 14, it manifested itself on the ice rink. Rogers wanted to try hockey: a sport that is tough to pick up as an adolescent with little skating experience. 

Not for Rogers.

Growing up in New York, playing hockey isn’t uncommon. Two of his best friends convinced him to give it a go. All he had to do was sign his name up for the local pick up game, and if anyone needed a player, Rogers could lend a hand. Similar to lacrosse, it didn’t take long for him to grow comfortable, the only difference was the objective — keep your eyes on the puck. 

“Hockey was probably the sport that was the most intriguing,” Lelan Rogers said. “I always tell him, it was probably the best sport he picked up because he had to learn how to be a team player [rather than the ‘star’].” 

Both lacrosse and hockey require a high level of physicality. However, in lacrosse, he found success from experience and a great understanding of the game from a young age; which helped him find proficiency on the rink. 

He had the opportunity to take his lacrosse career to the collegiate level, but in his senior year of high school, he showed flashes of potential on the football field, so he chose a new path. Regardless, a ball remained the objective. His dexterity as an athlete translated to the football field, yet he didn’t know just how far it would take him. 

In his senior year of high school, he only received one scholarship offer for football. So he chose to use the following year as an opportunity to increase his exposure to collegiate programs. He attended football camps during the summer. and played at Old Farms Preparatory school, rather than trying to walk-on as a freshman.

The first camp he attended was at Penn State, not far from his hometown of Syracuse. Lelan Rogers went along with him, the two experiencing that environment for the first time. As the drills began, he noticed Rogers would be asked to do them twice. 

“Oh, they liked your son,” a fellow father told him. “I’m telling you right now, you’re going to end up getting contacted.”

Sure enough, Penn State head coach, James Franklin, asked to meet with Rogers after the camp and informed him they were planning on keeping tabs on him during his year at prep school. It was a step in the right direction.

A few weeks later, Lelan received a phone call. While attending the Penn State camp was validating, when Lelan saw the name on the other end of line he knew his son had followed the right path with football. 

The name: Brian Daboll.

Daboll — the current head coach of the New York Giants — was the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama at the time. He was calling to invite Rogers to an exclusive Alabama football camp. 

Again, Rogers impressed the coaches at the camp. They saw him as a tight-end, but he began to turn the heads of the defensive coaches with his knack for hovering around the ball. It caught Tosh Lupoi’s attention. The Alabama defensive coordinator asked Rogers if he could try defensive-end. 

Of course, he was up for anything. 

Rogers left the camp excited for his year at prep school and the scholarship offers to come. They never did from Alabama or Penn State. He chose to play at Nebraska, instead. He stayed for five years. He grew close to the Cornhuskers’ defensive line coach Tony Tuioti and his teammate Jordon Riley. He earned significant playing time and an opportunity to contribute, however, he never felt fully content as a Cornhusker. He felt that in his gut. He knew he needed to maximize his final year of collegiate eligibility. 

Tuioti got hired at Oregon, Rogers followed not long after. 

“Coach T was a big reason why I came [to Oregon],” Rogers said. “When he gave me the opportunity to come here, it was really a no brainer. He’s speaking the same language as he did at Nebraskas, so it’s kind of a quick transition.”

Rogers also sought out Oregon for a chance to compete in a bowl game. Unlike Nebraska, his new program sports a deep defensive-line room, one that could have presented as an obstacle to a veteran transfer accustomed to a starting role.  

However, he accepted this challenge, taking on the role of a leader as he was familiar with coach Tuioti’s coaching style. Since arriving in the summer, Rogers quickly established himself in the front-seven rotation, showing an ability to wreak havoc as he’s retained his father’s lifelong adage.