The countdown begins to CanadaFootballChat.com’s Ontario Prospect Challenge (OPC) on the April 29th weekend at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton. In the days leading up to the OPC, CFC will preview the teams and the players participating in the big event.
The old saying goes that brains beat brawns, however if you have brains and brawns like Jordan Rogers of Team Central Varsity, you’re set to go far in life and the game of football.
When the Ontario Prospect Challenge commences, it promises to pose a test for all those who participate. Rogers said he chose to play in the OPC because it gave him that opportunity to challenge himself and to play with and against some of the top players in the province. For him, being chosen for the team has been the highlight thus far.
Rogers currently plays for the East York Collegiate Institute Goliaths (York Region Athletic Association) and the Metro Toronto Wildcats (Ontario Varsity Football League). Standing at a towering 6’5, 305 pounds, Rogers is a perfect fit for the offensive line. While he normally plays right tackle, he has the ability to play at one spot on the line.
“I like the knowledge required to be on the offensive line, to run the players and to be technically sound in our blocking schemes,” he said.
Jordan Rogers poses for the camera. Courtesy of
Rosanne Rogers.
Instead of looking towards those outside his football realm, Rogers has chosen inspirations that are a little closer to home. “My football inspirations are my coaches, in particular Coach Deni of the Wildcats and Goliaths has been a big inspiration to me. He always encourages me and has been there for me,” he said.
In the autumn of 2012, Ivor Wynne Stadium, the former home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, was torn down and from the debris rose Tim Hortons Field. While Rogers is looking forward to playing on the new field, he is also impressed with the history of the field it replaced.
When the game beings, however, Rogers’s mind won’t be on the past, but instead the present. “I will follow my coaches’ instructions and approach this game like every other game, staying focused on the players and encouraging my teammates to do our best,” he said.
Set to graduate in 2017, Rogers is working hard to ensure he maintains his 90 average. He hopes to play university football. He is considering CIS schools that have a good football program and a strong engineering program.
As for the OPC, he said, “I personally want to play my best game. The team’s goal will be to play our best as a team and hopefully have good results.”
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