Known as the “Durham Bull” during his prep career, according to the statement, Rogers brought that same power and relentlessness to Winston-Salem. He became the catalyst for elevating Wake Forest men’s basketball into one of the nation’s premier programs throughout the 1990s.
Rodney Rogers: Career records and honors
The Durham native played from 1990-93 at Wake Forest, according to WRAL News. Rogers attended Hillside High School in Durham. In 1990, he was North Carolina’s Mr Basketball and was a McDonald’s All-American. Mr. Basketball is given to the top player in the state.
Rogers made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991 while leading the Demon Deacons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984. He followed with a First Team All-ACC selection in 1992, and in 1993—after guiding Wake Forest to the NCAA Sweet 16—he was named ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
Rogers had a 12-year NBA career, playing for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers, WRAL News reported. In 2000, he bagged the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
In his NBA career, Rogers scored 9,468 points, hauled in 3,881 rebounds and dished out 1,722 assists. The Nuggets selected Rogers with the ninth overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, Wake Forest’s highest draft position, He remains one of only seven players in ACC history, and the only Demon Deacon, to earn both ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
After his junior season, Rogers declared for the NBA Draft, but the foundation he helped build powered the program’s rise. Wake Forest went on to make seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991–97, including an ACC Championship run and the Tim Duncan era under the leadership of Coach Dave Odom that followed immediately after Rogers’ departure.
Rogers was selected ninth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA Draft — the program’s highest draft position since Len Chappell went fourth overall in 1962. Over a distinguished 12-year NBA career, Rogers averaged 11 points per game, earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors and became widely respected for his toughness, versatility and professionalism before retiring in 2005.
Rodney Rogers: Life altering accident
In 2008, a life-altering accident left Rogers paralyzed from the shoulders down, yet he remained a powerful and inspirational presence. Rodney Rogers Foundation, where he encouraged individuals living with spinal cord injuries and used his platform to promote resilience and personal growth. His story of courage continued to inspire the Wake Forest community and countless others across the country.
Rogers received one of Wake Forest University’s highest honors as a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. With that, President Susan R. Wente awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at that event.
