Shaun Christopher O'Shea Rogers (born March 12, 1979) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
defensive tackle. He played
college football for the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. He was drafted by the
Detroit Lions in the 2nd round (61st overall) of the
2001 NFL Draft. Rogers has also played for the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
and
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Running back
Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
considered Rogers one of the hardest-hitting players in the NFL.
Early years
At
La Porte High School in
La Porte,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, Rogers was a
two-way tackle, and also
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
. He is known for his athleticism, ability to rush the
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
, and also his ability to stop the run. He was also known to play
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
near the
goal line. He had 17 attempts for 135 yards. His nickname in the locker room was Chunks.
College career
Shaun Rogers played for the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, pairing with
nose tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...
Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977) is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and receiv ...
, and ranked third on the school's career-record list with 53 stops behind the
line of scrimmage
In gridiron football, a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line (across the width of the field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun. Its location is based on the spot where the ball is placed after the end o ...
. He collected 199
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
(108 solo) with 14
sacks and 54 pressures during his career. In 2000, he was named to the
AP Honorable Mention All-
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
Team. That year, he played in nine games, starting six contests at right defensive tackle. He helped the Longhorns lead the nation in pass efficiency defense and rank seventh in total defense. He recorded 44 tackles (24 solos) with 3.5 sacks for minus 31 yards and 27 stops for losses of 56 yards.
Professional career
2001 NFL Draft
Prior to the draft, Rogers recorded a 5.3 sec
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a h ...
while weighing . Rogers was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round (61st overall) in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions
In his
rookie season, he recorded 90 tackles (68 solo), 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass deflections in 16 starts. In
2002, Rogers finished with 48 tackles (26 solo), 2.5 sacks, and 2 pass deflections in 14 games. In
2003, he started in all 16 games and finished the season with 58 tackles (42 solo), 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 5 pass deflections. His
2004 season was nearly identical to the previous one, as he again started in all 16 games and posted 68 tackles (48 solo), 4 sacks, and 5 pass deflections. He was selected as a
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
starter and was named an
AP 2nd Team All-Pro. In
2005, Rogers recorded 39 tackles (29 solo), 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 pass deflections in 14 games and was selected as a Pro Bowl starter for the second straight year.
On October 18, 2006, Rogers was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. His agent has stated that Rogers'
appetite suppressant
An anorectic or anorexic is a drug which reduces appetite, resulting in lower food consumption, leading to weight loss. By contrast, an appetite stimulant is referred to as orexigenic.
The term is (from the Greek ''ἀν-'' (an-) = "without" ...
medication was the reason for his positive test, but that appealing would not help the situation. Rogers played in only 6 games during the
2006 season and finished with 20 tackles (19 solo) and 3 sacks.
On November 4, 2007, Rogers
intercepted a pass from
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Allen Ramsey (born February 14, 1979) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Ramsey has also b ...
and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown. Rogers recorded 39 tackles (26 solo), 7 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 pass deflection in 16 games during the
2007 season.
Cleveland Browns
On February 29, 2008, Rogers was traded to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for
Leigh Bodden and 2008 3rd round pick
Andre Fluellen
Andre Fluellen (born March 7, 1985) is an American football former defensive tackle. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
High school career
A native of Carter ...
. The Browns ran a 3-4 defense, as opposed to the 4-3 defense Rogers played in for Detroit, and Rogers became the Browns' 3-4 nose tackle. In
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Rogers finished with 76 tackles (61 solo), 4.5 sacks, and 4 pass deflections in 16 games and was selected as a Pro Bowl reserve. On November 30, 2009, Rogers was placed on
Injured Reserve due to a broken leg. He finished the
2009 season with 36 tackles (27 solo), 2 sacks, and 1 pass deflection. During the 2010 offseason, Rogers was involved in trade rumors, but the Browns ultimately decided to keep him and move him to 3-4 defensive end, which was believed to better suit his skills than the nose tackle position. On February 9, 2011, Rogers was released by the Browns.
New Orleans Saints
On March 1, 2011, the Saints signed Rogers to a one-year contract worth $4 million. It has been reported that he was offered $6 million to play elsewhere, but ultimately decided to play for the Saints. After a disappointing 2011 campaign, the Saints elected to not resign Rogers.
New York Giants
On April 26, 2012, the
New York Giants signed Rogers to a contract. Due to a blood clot in his left calf, the team announced that Rogers would miss the entirety of the 2012-13 NFL season. However, after receiving a more encouraging second opinion on the injury, Giants coach
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin ( ; born August 31, 1946) is a former American football coach and executive. He was the head coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2015. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, both time ...
maintained a "ray of hope" that Rogers could return before the season's end.
On August 31, 2012, Rogers was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to the clot. Then, the Giants re-signed Rogers on February 7, 2013.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
In June 2007, Rogers was accused of sexually assaulting an
exotic dancer
A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event.
M ...
. Charges were never filed due to lack of evidence.
On April 1, 2010, Rogers was arrested at
Cleveland Hopkins Airport
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is an international airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the primary airport serving Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, the largest and busiest airport in the state, and the 43rd busiest a ...
for having a loaded gun in his carry on luggage.
Cleveland Browns tackle Shaun Rogers arrested after trying to take gun on airplane
". Associated Press. April 2, 2010.
References
External links
New York Giants bio
Detroit Lions bio
Cleveland Browns bio
New Orleans Saints bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Shaun
1979 births
Living people
Players of American football from Houston
La Porte High School (Texas) alumni
American football defensive tackles
American sportspeople in doping cases
Doping cases in American football
Texas Longhorns football players
Detroit Lions players
Cleveland Browns players
New Orleans Saints players
New York Giants players
National Conference Pro Bowl players