Nick Rogers, a four-year NFL veteran who starred at Georgia Tech, died Monday in a single-vehicle accident, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The car he was driving left the road and struck a utility pole.
A sixth-round pick of the Vikings in 2002, Rogers appeared in 16 games as a rookie, starting 11 of them. In 2003, Rogers appeared in 16 games, with five starts. He spent 2004 with the Packers and Colts, before finishing his career in 2005 with the Dolphins.
After football, he opened a barber shop. He recently began refurbishing homes with his father. The 30-year-old was married less than a month ago to Kia Jackson-Rogers, whom he had dated for more than a decade. Per the AJC, Rogers once finagled his way out of a team function as a freshman, telling coach George O’Leary that he needed to attend her senior prom.
“He let him go but he gave him that stern O’Leary look,” former Tech teammate Sean Gregory said. “All the fellas, we got on him for years about that.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kia and the rest of Rogers’ family and friends.