University of Richmond Athletics
Justin Rogers Named CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Oct. 1, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Make it four games and four weekly honors for University of Richmond football players. Freshman Justin Rogers was named the CAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week after a record-setting day in kickoff returns as No. 25 Richmond downed No. 11 New Hampshire, 45-38.
Winners of three straight, the Spiders (3-1, 2-0 CAA) have scored 45 or more points in three-consecutive games for the first time in school history.
Rogers set a new school record with 222 yards in kickoff returns against the Wildcats, highlighted by an 85-yarder for a touchdown to open the second half and another for 84-yards to electrify the crowd of 8,995 at UR Stadium. His touchdown proved to be the margin in the Spiders' victory.
"We just wanted to come out and set the tone in the second half," said Rogers after the game. "We had left the first half with momentum going up by three with the field goal and the first play of the second half was the kickoff. I just had faith in my guys and they motivated me."
The Baton Rouge, La. native is averaging 39.7 yards for his 12 kickoff returns this season and has brought two back for touchdowns to tie a Richmond single-season mark (Erwin Matthews, 1986). Rogers broke the old kickoff return yardage record of 215 set by Jesse Williams in 1980 and was just 47 yards shy of equaling the CAA Football single-game record of 269 by Brian Westbrook.
"The [kickoff return] unit as a whole is very good," said Rogers, who was named the CAA Football Rookie of the Week on Sept. 3 after 201 yards in returns and TD at Vanderbilt. "People see my running because I have the ball, but you don't see those other 10 guys blocking for me, sacrificing their body and sometimes getting knocked down."
A second-string defensive back, the versatile Rogers - a quarterback in high school - was also in on three tackles against New Hampshire to tie a career high. The freshman had five returns on the day for an average of 44.4 yards.
Rogers and senior TB Tim Hightower are the lone repeat winners of CAA Football weekly award this season. Hightower, who should be among the leading candidates when the Walter Payton Award finalists are revised in mid-October, has won the conference's Offensive Player of the Week honor twice.
Richmond is back on the road Saturday for a key CAA South Division game at Towson. Kickoff is set for noon ET in game televised live by Comcast SportsNet.