Former Wake Forest and NBA player Rodney Rogers passed away on Nov. 21, the university announced in a press release. He was 54 years old.
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According to the National Basketball Players Association, Rogers died of natural causes tied to a spinal cord injury. He had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since 2008 due to a dirt bike accident.
A native of North Carolina, Rogers immediately delivered for the Demon Deacons. He earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991, the same season that he helped lead the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984. He then earned First Team All-ACC honors in 1992.
Rogers' final season at Wake Forest University, 1993, saw him earning ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American honors. He guided the Demon Deacons to a Sweet 16 appearance before declaring for the NBA Draft.
According to Wake Forest, Rogers is the only player in University history to earn ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
"Rodney loved life deeply," Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes posted on X. "He battled the long-term effects of his spinal cord injury with quiet strength, grace, and unwavering positivity. His spirit, resilience, and joy were an inspiration, and his legacy will live on in all who were touched by him."
The "Durham Bull" landed with the Denver Nuggets as the ninth overall pick in the 1993 Draft. He then played in 866 games over 12 years while scoring 9,468 points.
Rogers also played for the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers. It was during his time with the Suns that he earned Sixth Man of the Year honors.
"Rodney is truly one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the Atlantic Coast Conference — without reservation," said former Wake Forest head coach Dave Odom. "You can place him alongside the very best our league has ever seen. It's easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out to everyone who knew him was that he was every bit as remarkable 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. Every time we visited him, I walked away reminding myself never to complain — because he never did. He faced life exactly as it came and made the very best of every moment. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man. He shared his strength, his spirit and his life with everyone around him."
