Rodgers Hits the Ground Running
Published on June 30, 2021 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
No stranger to indoor success, wide receiver Marques Rodgers made his Fighters debut last week, playing a significant role in the team's road victory in Duke City. A third-year pro, Rodgers has bounced around between a few IFL teams before finding his current home in Frisco.
After a prolific collegiate showing at Western New Mexico, the Arizona Rattlers turned Rodgers away after a team workout. Through a friend with a connection to Sioux Falls and a Facebook interaction with one of the Storm's coaches, Rodgers soon landed on his feet in South Dakota in 2018.
He lasted one campaign, in which he only played a handful of games, and the Storm chose not to keep him. Rodgers returned home to Los Angeles and mulled over walking away from the game. With plans to fall back on, he thought of working as a professional trainer and nutritionist.
Before deciding to stick to outlining workouts for others, though, he went down the road for a tryout with the San Diego Strike Force.
"They loved my film in Sioux Falls and they loved my 40 time," Rodgers said. "They signed me and, right away, everything just clicked."
Playing in the same city his dad did while with the Chargers, Rodgers was a bright spot in the team's inaugural season. He racked up the third-most all-purpose yards in IFL history, becoming only the second player since 2009 to surpass 2,000 yards. He led the league in kick return yardage and scored 16 total touchdowns.
The year put Rodgers on the map, as each Bismarck, Iowa, and Tucson came calling, interested in signing the second-team All-IFL wideout. Ultimately, he opted to stay in San Diego before the pandemic complicated the team's operations. He found another opportunity in signing with the Northern Arizona Wranglers prior to this season, but he'd soon migrate again.
"I had fun [with the Wranglers] while it lasted," said Rodgers. "They made a business decision that was good for them and good for me. I'm here now and I'm a proud Frisco Fighter."
In his first appearance with the team, he caught passes and returned kicks, which he likens to another sport. Unbeknownst to many, Rodgers said, he watches a lot of baseball. He compares the momentum of kick returning to a ball batted into play, bouncing through the infield.
"It hits the ground violently, but also keeps its speed," Rodgers said. "I try to keep the same mentality."
As for his offensive position, he had to get more familiar with moving before the snap before getting looks with his new team.
"With my other teams in the past, there was never any learning to control your motion," Rodgers said. "It was always full speed at the line. We have more freedom with the high motion."
Running toward the line before the play begins, Rodgers said, has helped him set up his routes. His potential was on full display in Albuquerque. He scored three times, including a kick return for a touchdown to open the second half, and was named Frisco's Player of the Game and the league's Special Teams Player of the Week.
Yet, Rodgers's full focus is on this week's matchup against the Massachusetts Pirates.
"I know what I'm capable of," Rodgers said. "That game in Duke City, that was a hell of a game, just for me, personally. And for the team, as well. That's behind me. I'm working on Massachusetts this week."
Indoor Football League Stories from June 30, 2021
- Rodgers Hits the Ground Running - Frisco Fighters
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