Pepper Rodgers facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1931 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 2020 (aged 88) Reston, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1951–1953 | Georgia Tech |
| Position(s) | Quarterback, kicker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1958–1959 | Air Force (assistant) |
| 1960–1964 | Florida (assistant) |
| 1965–1966 | UCLA (assistant) |
| 1967–1970 | Kansas |
| 1971–1973 | UCLA |
| 1974–1979 | Georgia Tech |
| 1984–1985 | Memphis Showboats |
| 1995 | Memphis Mad Dogs |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2001–2004 | Washington Redskins (VP of football operations) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 73–65–3 (college) 19–19 (USFL) 9–9 (CFL) |
| Bowls | 0–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 Big Eight (1968) | |
Franklin Cullen "Pepper" Rodgers (October 8, 1931 – May 14, 2020) was a famous American football player and coach. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
As a college player, he led the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to a perfect season in 1952. Later, he became their head coach. He also coached for the Kansas Jayhawks and UCLA Bruins. After college, he coached professional teams in Memphis, Tennessee. These teams were in the United States Football League (USFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).
Rodgers played as a quarterback and placekicker for Georgia Tech. His team won the Sugar Bowl and a share of the national championship in 1952. The next year, they won the Sugar Bowl again, and he was named the game's MVP.
He started his coaching career as an assistant for the Air Force Falcons, then the Florida Gators, and UCLA. He became a head coach at Kansas in 1967. He later returned to UCLA and then Georgia Tech as their head coach.
In the 1980s, Rodgers coached the Memphis Showboats in the USFL. In 1995, he coached the CFL's Memphis Mad Dogs. In the 2000s, he worked as a vice president for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL) before he retired.
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Playing College Football
Pepper Rodgers was born in Atlanta. He was a star athlete at Brown High School, playing football, basketball, and baseball. His high school football team won a state championship in 1949.
Rodgers played college football at Georgia Tech. He played under head coach Bobby Dodd. In 1951, he was a backup quarterback and placekicker.
In 1952, as a junior, he led the Yellow Jackets to a perfect 12–0 season. They shared the national championship. In the 1953 Sugar Bowl, he threw a touchdown and kicked a field goal. Georgia Tech won that game 24–7 against Mississippi.
In the 1954 Sugar Bowl, Rodgers threw three touchdowns against West Virginia. He was named the game's MVP. In 2018, he was honored as one of the first members of the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame.
Coaching Football Teams
After college, Rodgers was picked by the Baltimore Colts in the 1954 NFL draft. But he stayed at Georgia Tech for a year. He earned a degree in industrial management. He also helped coach the team as a student assistant. In 1955, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was a pilot for five years.
While in the Air Force, Rodgers was an assistant coach for the Falcons football team. He later became an assistant coach for Florida and UCLA.
Head Coach at Kansas
His first head coaching job was with Kansas in 1967. In his second year, 1968, he led the team to share the Big Eight Conference title. This was the program's most recent conference championship as of 2021. They played in the 1969 Orange Bowl in Miami. They lost a close game, 15–14, to Penn State.
Head Coach at UCLA
Rodgers returned to UCLA as their head coach in 1971. He brought in a new offense called the "wishbone." In 1972, with quarterback Mark Harmon, the Bruins upset top-ranked Nebraska. Nebraska had won two championships and had a 32-game unbeaten streak. UCLA finished the 1972 season with an 8–3 record. They were ranked No. 15 in the final polls. In 1973, they had a 9–2 record and finished ranked No. 12.
Head Coach at Georgia Tech
After the 1973 season, he went back to Georgia Tech as their head coach. He coached there for six seasons. His record at Georgia Tech was 34 wins, 31 losses, and 2 ties.
Coaching Professional Teams
Rodgers also coached professional football. He was the head coach of the USFL's Memphis Showboats from 1984 to 1985. He also coached the CFL's Memphis Mad Dogs in 1995. While with the Showboats, he coached Reggie White, who later became a Pro Football Hall of Fame player.
Working as an Executive
In 2001, at age 69, Rodgers was considered for the head coaching job of the Washington Redskins. Instead, he became the team's vice president of football operations. He held this position from 2001 to 2004.
Writing Books
Pepper Rodgers wrote a novel called Fourth and Long Gone. This book was based on his experiences as a college football coach. It was published in 1985. He also wrote his autobiography, Pepper!: The autobiography of an unconventional coach, with Al Thomy.
Later Life
Pepper Rodgers lived in Reston, Virginia, in his later years. He passed away on May 14, 2020, at the age of 88.
