Former Wake Forest star and 12-year NBA player Rodney Rogers has died. He was 54 years old.
The school announced Saturday that Rogers died Friday. Rogers – the No. 9 NBA draft pick in 1993 – was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a dirt bike accident in November 2008. According to a statement from the National Basketball Players Association on behalf of Rogers’ family, Rogers died of natural causes related to a spinal cord injury.
“The past 17 years have been challenging and extremely fortunate,” the NBPA statement said. “In each moment, Rodney remained filled with a light—positive, inspired, and quiet strength that inspired everyone around him.”
Rogers was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year in 1991 and Player of the Year in 1993, whose number 54 jersey was retired by the Demon Deacons. The 6-foot-7 forward with powerful athleticism earned the nickname “Durham Bull” during his prep career, then scored nearly 9,500 points in the NBA while being named the league Sixth Man of the Year in 2000.
Rogers’ injury led to the establishment of a foundation in his name to encourage people with spinal cord injuries while promoting resiliency and personal growth in the face of the challenges Rogers faces. Wake Forest honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022, along with an honorary degree.
Demon Deacons great and former teammate Randolph Childress said in a statement released by the school, “Rodney is the strongest man I have ever met – physically and mentally – and his resiliency was evident in the fight he displayed every day.” “I’ve said it before and I say it today: He was the best athlete to ever walk on Wake Forest’s campus. He meant so much to so many people, and I feel so blessed to be with him yesterday.”
Rogers played three years at Wake Forest, averaging 21.2 points in the 1992–93 season, before entering the NBA draft as a junior as Wake Forest reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He started his NBA career denver nuggets and went to play with him LA Clippers, phoenix sun, boston celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets And philadelphia 76ers,
Dave Odom, Rogers’ coach at Wake Forest, said, “It’s easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out most to everyone who knew him was that he was remarkable in every way as a human being.” “He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved Wake Forest and he loved the game of basketball. He loved playing for Wake Forest.
“Whenever we visited him, I walked away reminding myself to never complain – because he never did. He took life as it came and enjoyed every moment to the fullest. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater person. He shared his strength, his spirit and his life with everyone around him.”
According to the NBPA statement, Rogers is survived by his wife, Faye; daughters Roddreka and Rideyah; sons Rodney II and Devonte; his mother, Estelle Spencer; and Eric Hipolito, adopted by Rogers as a son.
