Aaron Rodgers is heading for Canton when he eventually decides to call time of his incredible career.
The four-time NFL MVP’s Hall of Fame career saw him win a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010.
GettyHe ended his college career a hero but had a humble start[/caption]
He has since bombed at the New York Jets — the Achilles tear didn’t help — and is considering retirement if he cannot find a suitable new home.
Whatever happens, the maverick has already earned himself a place in the history books — something that seemed a long way off when his career barely made it out of high school.
Rodgers sliding to the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft is well known, his rejection four years later was even more emphatic and probably created the gun-slinging genius that has wowed fans for two decades.
After setting numerous school records at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California, Rodgers struggled for Division 1 offers.
In a 2011 interview with ESPN, he put it down to his 5ft 10in, 165-pound frame. Florida State was his dream destination but only the University of Illinois made an offer for the QB to attempt to win a scholarship as a walk-on.
He turned it down and considered either playing baseball or attending law school, per the Washington Post.
That is when a bold junior college coach, Craig Rigsbee, decided to visit the Rodgers family with a proposition.
Butte College’s stadium didn’t have lights, the facilities were crumbling and its team had 25-year-old former truck driver at center.
Rigsbee didn’t have much going for him — it wasn’t exactly Friday Night Lights — but he had one ace up his sleeve.
When Rodgers asked if he could play the game in the aggressive manner he loved, his new coach said yes.
GettyRodgers starred for the Golden Bears as a transfer[/caption]
GettyDespite his pedigree, he still slid in the NFL Draft[/caption]
GettyTight end Garrett Cross helped Rodgers get the call from Cali[/caption]
“The most important year of my football career,” Rodgers said via the Washington Post, “And probably right up there with the most enjoyable.”
Rigsbee designed a pro-style offense that relied on Rodgers’ unique gift for taking risks and extending plays and coached up the rest of the team to know plays were never dead.
“You know how many people told him he couldn’t do this stuff?” Rigsbee told Kent Babb. “We said: ‘Hey, you can do this.’ ”
The Roadrunners went 10-1 that season with Rodgers passing for 26 touchdowns, 2,156 yards and four interceptions.
“That year in general gave me a ton of confidence,” he later admitted.
Tight end Garrett Cross, who like Rodgers hailed from Chico — 15 minutes down the road from the college, was one of the beneficiaries of Rodgers’ gifts and gave him a big one in return.
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The University of California was interested in the pass-catcher and caught a glimpse of Rodgers while watching tape.
“I noticed the quarterback,” then-coach Jeff Tedford said via Sports Illustrated. “He kind of popped off the tape at me.”
After finding our Rodgers was eligible to transfer as a freshman, he attended a practice to watch the dynamic duo in action.
He called his new signal-caller on the drive home he was so excited to get him in the building. Cross got a call too and caught 44 passes for eight touchdowns.
A prolific college career followed before the infamous Draft slide and an NFL career that has lasted 20 years — and counting.
“Start Here, Go Anywhere,” reads Butte College’s web page advertising its academic programs. Thanks to Rodgers, those aren’t empty words.
Tonight sees one of the most unique events in world sport get underway, as the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in Green Bay, and you can hear the first round in full, exclusively on talkSPORT2 and on the talkSPORT Endzone YouTube Channel with the first pick made from 1am.
