Charles Rogers, Former Michigan State & Detroit Lions Wide Receiver, Dies At 38

Charles Rogers, a former wide receiver for both the Michigan State Spartans and the Detroit Lions, has died at the age of 38.

The native of Saginaw, Michigan was a five-star recruit coming out of high school before joining a Michigan State team coached by Bobby Williams. In just two seasons for the Spartans, Rogers finished with 135 catches for 2,821 yards and 27 touchdowns; he was also named an All-American.

Rogers’ former coach at Saginaw High, Don Durrett, spoke of his memories of Rogers as a high school phenom and how he has already heard from a number of former players.

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“I’ll tell you, he was – and I’m including Flint, too, since I coached at Flint Northern all those years – he’s the best athlete I ever seen. I mean, honestly,” Durrett told the Free Press. “We’re talking about basketball, football and track together. He could have had a scholarship in all three sports. That’s how good.… I haven’t seen nobody that fast that could do it all. He was just a blessed athlete that could do it all.”

After a successful high school and college career, Rogers was selected as the number two overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. His professional career, however, was relatively short-lived due to admitted struggles with drugs. Rogers played in 15 games in his NFL career, catching 36 passes for 440 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Former Michigan State and NFL tight end Chris Baker took to Twitter to express his condolences:

“Devastated to learn of the passing of my spartan brother Charles (Rogers),” Baker tweeted. “Spoke with his mom this morning. Please pray for her and his children. Please also be respectful of their privacy at this difficult time. Rip Chuck”

Rogers certainly made an impact on many different communities throughout his lifetime and his legacy will undoubtedly live on.