Corky Rogers

Rogers was born in Bay City, Michigan, where his father was stationed in 1943, but the family soon returned to Florida. His nickname "Corky" came from his father, Chuck, who read about World War II hero Colin Kelly from Madison, Florida, who called his own son Corky. Chuck worked 20 years as a correspondent for Associated Press before beginning a career with the City of Jacksonville in the Recreation Department. Rogers was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1966, but his college deferral had expired, so he was required to serve a year of active military duty in the Army Reserve. He was back in Baltimore the next season, but with receivers like Raymond Berry, Jimmy Orr and John Mackey on the roster, Rogers did not make the final cut. He began playing semi-pro football in Atlanta while taking classes to finish his college requirements. He married a flight attendant named Linda in 1968. After receiving a degree in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech, ==Lee==

Rogers spent three years as an assistant at Ribault before taking the head coaching position at his alma mater, Lee High School, in 1972. He recorded 10 straight district titles from 1977 to 1986 but the goal that eluded him at Lee was a state championship, and it still bothered him: "It certainly is one of the real disappointments in my career. We had the players to do it. We just didn't get it done and I'm the one that must answer for that. But I do think it was a growing period in my life where I learned what it takes. And maybe not winning one kept me that much more hungry when we came over to Bolles." At the time, Frank Callihan was Bolles' Athletic Director. While Rogers was hospitalized, Callihan made several visits and privately expressed his desire for Rogers to coach at Bolles. Rogers began to think about his future at Lee. The team's 1988 season improved to 8–2, while Bolles went 5-5, and the Bolles Athletic Director was ready to make a coaching change. and a record of 141–39–1. He accepted the head football coach position at the Bolles School, a private school of the affluent (high school tuition in 2013 was $21,200) which was traditionally viewed with envy or as the enemy by the public-school system. Rogers kept his long-time assistant, Wayne Belger. ==Bolles==

Rogers took over the football program at Bolles, a well-financed private school with both a strong academic and athletic reputation. In 2005, Sports Illustrated ranked it as the 9th-best high school athletics program in the country. The campus looks like a small college and contains sports facilities that many colleges would envy. Public schools are generally limited to students living within the school district boundaries. Private schools can enroll students regardless of where they live. A common misconception about Bolles is that they recruit and their teams are composed of blue-chip college prospects. They usually are not, so Rogers had to maximize the potential of players with no chance of ever playing college ball. Rogers stated, "As coaches, we don't do a lot to make Division I football players; they pretty much make themselves. Where we come in is to have more influence on the guy who struggles just to be competitive." In 25 years at Bolles, his record was 244–33. Prior to the 2005 season, Bolles was named as one of the "top 25 teams to watch in the nation" by Street & Smith's. Rogers was named USA Head Coach for NFL Global Junior Championships IX, and he received the Life Membership Award from the American Coaching Association "for outstanding contributions to high school athletics and the coaching profession". and 10th state championship the following year. After recording his 400th win early in the 2011 season, Rogers joined an exclusive group of eight coaches. In second place is John T. Curtis, Jr. of Louisiana, who became the second coach to pass the 500-win milestone. Curtis's record going into the 2013 season was 520–54–6. The all-time leader is from South Carolina; Summerville High School's John McKissick is still active at 86, and his record is 601–148–13 after 61 seasons. In 2013, his forty-second year of coaching, he led the Bolles School of Jacksonville, Florida to a 10–4 record, and they were runners-up in the class 4A state football championship. Three of the losses in 2013 were against teams that won a state championship. Rogers' career record at the end of 2013 was 433-77-1, including ten state championships, both state coaching records. The Florida Times-Union called Bolles-Rogers "one of the great dynasties in Florida prep football history". ==Corky Rogers Day==

On December 18, 2005, during halftime of the Jacksonville Jaguars 10–9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Rogers received a silver tray celebrating his accomplishments and the honor of being the 2004-05 National High School Coach of the Year. A video of highlights in the coach's 34-year career was played on the stadium JumboTrons. Over 300 current and former players took the field during the presentation. Players from every team coached by Rogers participated. Some had not seen Rogers since their high school graduation. The reunion continued after the ceremony ended, with pictures and interaction between the coach and players. J.D. Hall, head football coach at Mandarin High School commented, "Corky is more than a just a football coach. He was a father figure to me." ==All Century Team==

Bolles' Corky Rogers was named to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century Team Coaching Staff. As part of its ongoing celebration of "100 Years of Florida High School Football," the FHSAA announced a 33-player and 12-member coaching staff for the All-Century Team. The FHSAA honored the All-Century Team players and coaches at halftime of the Class 5A state championship game in Orlando on December 14, 2007. ==Health==

Following the 2011 season, the 68 year old Rogers was scheduled for shoulder replacement surgery. Prior to the operation, he had an electrocardiogram, which showed seven blocked arteries. He was immediately transported to the hospital by ambulance and the next day he had a septuple bypass. The cardiothoracic specialist who performed the procedure was a Bolles alumnae. Rogers took off two months for recovery and rehabilitation, but returned to school in late March and was back on the field in time for spring practice of the 2012 season. ==Notable players coached==

• Edgar Bennett, running back for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears • Leroy Butler, strong safety for the Green Bay Packers • Riley Skinner, quarterback for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and, briefly, the New York Giants • Jason Spitz, offensive guard for the Green Bay Packers and the Jacksonville Jaguars • Dez White, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons • Hayden Hurst, tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals • Mac Jones, quarterback for the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars ==References==