One of the toughest players from the University of Alabama’s 2009 national championship team in football was someone that did not get an opportunity to carve out a career in the National Football League however, he continues to make a difference in the path he has chosen.
Former Alabama cornerback Chris Rogers holding 2009 BCS national championship trophy: Photo from Rogers
As a player, Chris Rogers epitomized intensity, hard work and tenacity in doing everything to make sure his teammates were all on the same page. He has taken the same attitude to life after football as his company, Together Assisting People or TAP, is the largest nonprofit organization in Alabama. Founded in 2010, TAP is a program geared to help young men not only find success in athletics, but to also gain life skills in helping them support themselves and their families.
The idea for TAP came to Rogers in his junior season after a class project.
He mentioned to yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine that he wanted to provide today’s youth with knowledge that he didn’t receive when he was coming along. His book, Beyond The Field: An Athlete’s Guide to Greatness, details how guys can get themselves recruited by having success in the classroom as well as on the field.
Rogers’ next step in locating marquee prospects for college football is having a skills camp for quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs. His TAP All-Star event will be next Thursday, July 26 at Huffman High School in Birmingham from 6-9 p.m. With the camp being a night, Rogers is giving high school athletes a taste of how things could plan out at the next level.
Features of the camp include a 40-yard dash test, position specific drills and one-on-one drills with coaches. Along with the camp being free, it is sponsored by Alabama Power, Coca-Cola, BB&T Bank, Youth First and McDonald’s among others. For more information on the camp, you can log onto www.tapnfp.org.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
