A Perfect Fit
July 18, 2023 | Football, Joel Coleman
Will Rogers is just the man to lead Mississippi State into a new era of Bulldog football.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Will Rogers put his cup down and filled it with hot coffee as his rounds at Southeastern Conference Media Days began on Tuesday afternoon. It was a sight his late former head coach, Mike Leach, would've appreciated.
Leach was a notorious coffee drinker, however he wasn't so much a coffee lover.
"He thought it tasted awful, but just wanted the caffeine," Rogers said. "I actually really like it."
Taste bud differences aside, it was fitting that Rogers carried his coffee cup along radio row at the Grand Hyatt Nashville. The act was an unintentional nod to what Leach would've likely been doing himself, and it was done by the young man who'll always carry Leach's teachings with him.
Wherever Rogers' football career ultimately takes him, he'll always be tied to Leach. That tie as well as an unmatched work ethic and love for the game are all large parts of what makes Rogers the perfect fit to lead State into a new era of Bulldog football under head coach Zach Arnett.
Growing Up In A Hurry
Pop quiz. Who's the only true freshman that started a game in the entire illustrious coaching career of Leach? It was Rogers back in 2020.
Talk about a trial by fire. Rogers admits it wasn't easy. It was far from it in fact. Now a senior though, Rogers says that first year was a blessing.
"I learned so much from all those early mistakes I made," Rogers said.
Few people are wired to handle ups and downs on a football field like Rogers. The son of a football coach, he's long known missteps and failures are simply opportunities to grow, so long as you put in the work.
Rogers is a guy who's long been obsessed with digging into the game. He was studying it when some kids his age didn't even have the training wheels off their bikes yet.
"I was probably around 7 or 8 years old when I started watching film with my dad," Rogers said. "I remember my dad breaking down film and I'd be sitting there just kind of watching and hearing some of the words he was using.
"You want to ask a question, but I felt like, 'This is my dad and his assistant right there busy. They don't want to hear questions from a 7-year-old.'"
Before long though…
"I was somewhere around 12 or 13 years old and Gardner Minshew was our high school quarterback running the show," Rogers remembered. "Then, it was time for me to start asking questions. Dad wanted me asking questions to hear what I was thinking and it's carried on from there…So yeah, it's been quite a few years in the film room for me."
Fast-forward to Mississippi State and Rogers' homework habits have only intensified. It helped him master Leach's Air Raid offense and set record after record.
His drive to know the ins and outs of everything is now paying dividends again as he gets set for a fresh adventure under Arnett and new MSU offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay.
Putting In The Time
To understand who Rogers is and why he's likely to continue to thrive with Arnett and Barbay calling shots, it might best be illustrated by an answer he gave to a reporter on Tuesday who was asking about players considering playing for Mississippi State.
"If you really want to get to work, then this is the place to get to work; but if you don't want to work, get out," Rogers said.
Rogers isn't just some false teacher, talking a big game. He practices every bit of what he preaches.Â
Shortly after Barbay joined Arnett's staff in Starkville, Rogers was diving into Barbay's scheme. He felt a responsibility to.
"I can't ask a receiver to learn it or anybody to learn it if I don't know it myself," Rogers said.
Rogers dug in deeper and deeper, day after day after day.
"It was showing up in the winter and learning at least one thing a day," Rogers said. "I was trying to learn all about [Barbay's] formations or the quick game or the drop back. Then you bring in the shifts and motions with it. It was kind of just a process. I had to learn a little at the time, but by the time we hit spring ball and really by the time we were into spring ball, I knew it like the back of my hand."
Rogers' background and the way he's been wired helped him to absorb Barbay's style in a hurry. It also allows Rogers reason to believe he can excel in it.
Rogers says it's an offense that, in some ways, simplifies what has to go through his mind on each play. Leach put an incredible amount of responsibility on Rogers. Make no mistake, he still holds much of that responsibility, but there will perhaps be a few less wheels that have to turn in his brain on each snap.
"Really, our offense, it was all on me last year to get us in the right check and get us in the right play," Rogers explained. "Now, the role is the same – I'll still have to do that – but it's different at the same time. There's a little more structure to things with Coach Barbay. I think there's a little less I have to think about. And the more I learn of the offense and understand why Coach Barbay is calling certain things, I'll have an even better understanding of things and be able to execute it at an even higher level."
In other words, for Rogers, the work continues and it's likely safe to say he'll never be satisfied. There's always more to learn and additional work to be put in.
Setting The Standard
The way Rogers' handles his business can't help but trickle down to his teammates as well. He wants it that way.
He doesn't just want to be some rah-rah quarterback who talks a big game but doesn't walk the walk.
"I've gotta be a vocal leader, but at the same time, I want my actions to mean as much or more than my words," Rogers said.
The Bulldogs all take notice.
"The most unique thing about Will, and you see it all the time in workouts, is that you never even know if he's tired or not," MSU running back Jo'Quavious Marks said. "No matter what, he's always talking. He's always building people up. I'm like, 'Is he ever tired?' I always joke with him and say, 'If you'd race me, I swear I could make you tired to where you wouldn't talk.' But he keeps on – always talking and building us up. His leadership skills are phenomenal."
Marks and the Dawgs believe in Rogers and he believes right back in them. It's a big part of why the veteran signal caller remains in Maroon and White for at least one more season.
In an age of college sports where players have options, Rogers insists his only real option for 2023 was to stick by his guys' side at the place he loves.
"I made a commitment to Mississippi State when I was a junior in high school and I stick to that commitment to this day," Rogers said. "I'm not a quitter. I wasn't going to quit on my teammates. Our locker room is special."
Special indeed, in large part thanks to its QB1.
A Blessed Man
Tuesday as Rogers weaved his way in and out of rooms at Media Days, it wasn't lost on him how this whole State journey started for him when Leach handed him the reigns as a wide-eyed youngster.
"I guess it's kind of come all the way around now," Rogers said. "I guess I'm the old veteran now. It's really cool for all this to come full circle and have the chance to lead this program. It's truly a blessing to be in the position that I'm in."
Rogers is blessed, and the Bulldogs are blessed as well. Blessed to have a player who has long been wired to work tirelessly. Blessed to have a player who learned the ropes of college football from the brilliant mind of Leach. Blessed to have a player who loves his teammates and is committed to leading them – not only on Saturdays – but in the day to day.
State has the ideal man behind (and yes, sometimes now even under) center to kick off the Arnett era. Rogers is all in, all Bulldog and thrilled to be the guy to be by Arnett's side as a new MSU football journey gets set to begin.
"It really is a great fit, especially with Coach Arnett now our head coach," Rogers said. "I think Coach Arnett and I have a lot of the same mindset on things and the way we work. Us Mississippi State people, we don't really care what other people say about us. All we do is work our tails off and then go get in a fight on Saturday. That's all you can ask for. That's what we're here to do. That's how we are. It's a perfect match."
