Rodgers, "Johnny" (John)
Football
b. July 5, 1951, Omaha, NE
Winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy as the nation's best college player, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Rodgers was a threat to score any time he touched the ball. His greatest performance came in Nebraska's 40-6 victory over Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl, when Rodgers ran for three touchdowns, caught a 50-yard touchdown pass, and threw a 54-yard touchdown before being removed with 21 minutes still to play.
In three seasons as a starter, Rodgers rushed 152 times for 836 yards, a 5.5 average; caught 154 passes for 2,779 yards, an 18.0 average; returned punts for 1,651 yards and kickoffs for 892 yards; scored 50 touchdowns, including 9 on kick returns; and accounted for 6,210 all-purpose yards. Nebraska won national titles in 1970 and 1971 and had a 31-game winning streak during Rodgers' career.
Rodgers was drafted by the NFL's San Diego Chargers in 1973, but they refused to meet his contract demands because of his size and he signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was the CFL rookie of the year. Rodgers remained with the Alouettes through the 1976 season and then joined the Chargers.
His NFL playing time was limited by injuries and he retired after just two seasons. With the Chargers, he gained 49 yards on 4 rushes, a 12.3 average; caught 17 passes for 234 yards, a 13.8 average; returned 26 punts for 246 yards, a 9.5 average; and ran back 15 kickoffs for 353 yards, a 23.5 average.