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Eli Rogers is one of the fastest players on the Steelers roster and makes a living maneuvering through tight spaces over the middle of the field, but even this was a bit cramped for him.
Seven people piled into Rogers" two-bedroom townhouse for Christmas and New Year"s his mom, four siblings and girlfriend yet Rogers, because of what this moment meant to him, wouldn"t have had it any other way.
Rogers" upbringing was not pretty. His mom, Tranae Jackson, has been living with AIDS since Eli was 8. Brownsville, the suburb of Miami where Rogers was raised, is among the poorest and most dangerous in the country. Money was tight. Meals were missed. To avoid the trappings that surrounded him and attempting to chart a new path, Rogers spent much of high school voluntarily away from home, living with friends and family members and crashing on couches for weeks at a time.
Spending the holidays with those closest to him served as an affirmation for Rogers, that he got his college degree and made it out, that he had NFL games to play, that he was on his way to becoming that role model his family so sorely needed.
Getting them up here and having my family around me for the first time, being able to have that type of power to be able to bring them up here and support me and things like that, man, its a blessing coming where I come from, Rogers said.
Weve had real-life struggles. Some days, nothing to eat. Some days, moving here and there. It was a real struggle. To see my sisters looking up to me, and my big brother looking up to me, its really humbling, man. Thats why I come out and work so hard, to be able to provide for my family.
Yet Rogers family isnt the only one relying on him. In a season where the Steelers have gotten nothing or close to it from fellow receivers Martavis Bryant (drug suspension) and Markus Wheaton (injury), Rogers has been a consistent playmaker for Ben Roethlisberger.
Rogers, 24, isnt going to take Antonio Browns spot as Roethlisbergers go-to guy, but Big Bens admiration for Rogers is clear.
He was a guy that I was excited about last year, then wasnt able to participate because of an injury, said Roethlisberger, who will lead the Steelers against Miami at 1:05 today in an AFC wild-card game at Heinz Field. I just think every week you see new stuff from him. You dont see the same mistakes. You see a guy that learns from his mistakes. You see a guy whos passionate about wanting to be great. He puts the hard work in to do that.
Apparently its always been that way, where Rogers maturity has belied his age and his want-to has been smack-you-over-the-head obvious.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns played with Rogers at Miamis Northwestern High and remembers thinking Rogers was different back then.
He was our leader, Burns said. Everybody looked up to Eli.
He was always a good player, but when there were stressful situations and we needed to get a win, we went to him. Thats a lot of responsibility, but he took on that role. He was that guy.
I wanted to stay out of it
Part of why the family visit was so special for Rogers was that everyone finally got to sit down and talk, to reconnect. Rogers admits that, because he left home, he was never close with his brother, Terell, or his sisters: Missy, Iesha Jackson or Krystal Edwards.
His decision was a tough one and cost him some family time, but its not one he said he regrets.
My mom stayed in the hood. I wanted to stay out of it, Rogers said. I went there every now and then, but I felt like [leaving home] was the best decision for me to excel.
One of Rogers best friends became his quarterback at Northwestern High, Teddy Bridgewater. The pair later committed to the University of Louisville together, and now Bridgewater plays for the Minnesota Vikings.
Lamar Miller was Rogers position coach at Louisville and said he had a long talk with Rogers early on about not making excuses when things didnt go his way.
The results were almost instantaneous.
Guys like him are the reason youre in coaching, Miller said. They get it. They hear it, and they get it. They put the time in, and they become successful.
Miller called football for Rogers his way of evening the score in life and exhorted him to get his degree. Rogers started out studying sports administration but graduated with a communications degree in 2015.
Coming from where I come from, guys barely go to college, Rogers said. The guys that do go, most dont finish. They leave early or just dont finish.
Rogers prays a lot. He wears a leather bracelet with bELIeve inscribed on it. One of the things Rogers believes is that he was destined to change the misfortunes of his family through his G*d-given talent on the football field. Another is that Tranae, recognizing this, always pushed him harder than her other kids.
It was always something with me, like I was the special child, Rogers said. Shed always tell me, No, you dont do this. Or always tried to pull me away from those things, that life that I could have seen. She always tried to do that and keep me away from it. I feel like she always believed I could be the one to bring the change to our family.
Elis a real genuine guy
Caring for others is not confined to Rogers off-field life.
The Steelers drafted Demarcus Ayers in the seventh round this offseason because they didnt know what they had in Rogers; he had broken his foot in training camp, and special teams coach Danny Smith was critical of Rogers on draft night.
But when Ayers arrived, Rogers couldnt have been nicer. He was friendly. He was funny. He was helpful.
Rogers earned a prominent role in the offense, while Ayers tore a ligament in his foot. That didnt hurt the friendship. Ayers said Rogers would routinely offer words of encouragement from his own lost season, tell him to stay positive and even sit down and watch film with him for an afternoon, pointing out parts of the game plan and making Ayers feel like he was part of things.
You dont get that out of a lot of guys, Ayers said. You find some guys that its always about them. Theyre great players on the field, but Elis a real genuine guy.
Football-wise, Rogers position plays to his strengths. As a slot receiver, hes lined up on the inside of the formation, not outside like Brown.
It requires Rogers to think a couple steps ahead, almost like a pool shark.
In the slot, its a game of chess because theres a lot of grass, said cornerback William Gay, whos often responsible for covering the opposing teams slot receiver. Its a lot of option routes, a lot of technique and timing with the quarterback. Thats what makes him so tough. He pays attention to details, and he never stops.
A breath to breathe
Like Brown, Rogers routinely stays out late for extra work after practice, refining his timing and technique.
Knowing what his mom continues to go through is a motivating factor for Rogers. The same for his never-ending desire to create a better life for those around him.
It may seem like a lot of pressure for someone in their mid-20s to shoulder, but Rogers doesnt see it that way.
I believe Im the one who can bring change to my family, Rogers said. Its not pressure. I believe its the role that G*d has given me. I take that role and run with it.
After a so-so start, one that included a benching in the Steelers" Week 7 loss to the Patriots, Rogers seemingly has found another gear.
"He has had steady growth once we hit that halfway mark," steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. "He wants to be good. Hes a hard worker. He watches a lot of tape. Hes a tough guy in there."
Rogers might be tough, but he"s not arrogant or naive. He doesnt pretend to know what its like to be his mom or feel what she feels. He has always admired how she prays every day and expresses gratitude for what she has, even if the situation sometimes looks bleak.
She always says, Thank you G*d for waking me up and giving me a breath to breathe, Rogers said. Through what shes going through, its amazing to me to find the strength to wake up every day, in the situation shes in, and do that.
I think that really sparked something in me that gave me a drive to always want to keep G*d first and always want to stay positive and work hard for her to create that change.
Rogers said his mom has been doing better, although he did not want her to talk for this story.
She wasnt doing as well not long ago, Rogers said, and its one of the things that keeps him motivated to make these family get-togethers a regular thing.
Albeit in slightly larger settings.
For her to be living, for her to be where she is now because 10 years ago, five years ago, she wasnt in this state of mind, Rogers said. To witness a person in the dark, and to come back to life, that speaks volumes. If that alone doesnt make you believe in yourself, I dont know what can.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2017/01/07/Taking-on-challenges-came-early-for-Pittsburgh-Steelers-receiver-Eli-Rogers/stories/201701080147
