By Kevin Hampton
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Friday, November 28, 2008 12:00 am
James Rodgers is a sophomore receiver on the Oregon State football team.
He is known for his ability to make big plays running the fly sweep and for scoring the winning touchdown in last season's Civil War win using the play.
He helped the Beavers to a 19-17 win at Arizona last Saturday by rushing for 102 yards on 10 carries when his brother, Jacquizz, was knocked out of the game.
Q: How are you getting acclimated to the move to receiver?
A: Just a lot of hard work. Basically learning the slot receiver spot. We got a lot of plays at the start of camp and now it's just running them, just running the right routes.
Q: What's been the most difficult part of moving to the slot?
A: Just basically learning the plays, that's the main thing. Once you learn the plays, then you can run them continually.
Q: Have you gotten comfortable at the spot?
A: Yes, I'm getting more comfortable with the spot now that I'm learning everything. So it's way better than it was at first when I started at slot receiver.
It's going real well, just staying after practice and getting some work in with Sammie Stroughter, who has been my mentor. We just catch balls and run routes, trying to get better.
Q: In the spring you spoke about not only learning the routes, but getting used to catching the ball. How do you feel about how far you've come in that respect?
A: I think I'm (doing) real well. It's just a lot of catching balls after practice and before practice. Just trying to get my hands right.
Q: Has it been fun for you to take on an expanded role in the offense and catch quite a few passes?
A: Yes, sir. It's been real fun. Finally getting out and running some routes and catching the ball.
Q: Is there any aspect of the position at this level that came as a surprise?
A: Last year I was having a hard time just running routes and that probably was the main thing, running routes. And now I've gotten way better, so it's easier.
Q: What helped you get better in that area?
A: Just working with Sammie Stroughter during the summer and even during the season. We still work out.
Q: You mentioned that Stroughter has been your mentor. Have you spent time picking Stroughter's brain about playing the position?
A: Yes, sir. I talk to Stroughter a lot. He just gives me a lot of tips and things to do. How to win on this route, how to run a route, different types of things like that.
Q: What's the best tip he's given you?
A: Just (having) short-term memory. You're going to have some times where you might drop a ball, so just dust it off and go to the next play.
Q: Have you become good friends?
A: Yes, sir. We come in sometimes and watch film together, we lift weights together. Go get Jamba Juice together, just normal things.
Q: How do you feel about your brother, Jacquizz, joining you on the team?
A: It's a real neat experience, just to have my little brother here. It's been real good. Just getting a chance to play with him in my college career is very good.
Q: How much did you tell him about Oregon State?
A: I just told him the truth. It's a good place. We've got real nice coaches. I just told him everything that was the truth about Oregon State.
Q: Is it surprising to you how quickly Jacquizz has taken the Pacific-10 Conference by storm?
A: Yes, sir. I thought it would take a little bit into the middle of the season, but he just came in and started making big plays early.
Q: Has he talked to you about becoming the focus of the media so early in his career?
A: We really don't pay attention. We don't even care about the media-type stuff.
Q: Do you remember the first time you both took the field for OSU?
A: I remember the moment, fall camp, first time. It was great having him out here, seeing my brother playing.
Q: Have you been able to spend a lot of time with Jacquizz during the season?
A: Yes. We spend time. I go to his dorm and hang out after I get out of class.
Q: Last year you ran the fly sweep and made a name for yourself among OSU fans. What was that experience like?
A: I was just running, you know. The fly sweep, I guess it was a big deal last year, but it never would have gotten started without the linemen and the people blocking downfield, so I give credit to my guys up front and the receivers.
Q: Was it a play that you were familiar with before you came to OSU?
A: We ran something similar to that (in high school), just out of the shotgun.
Q: What do you remember about the fly sweep you ran for the winning touchdown against Oregon in the Civil War?
A: I just remember seeing a great block by Howard Croom and (a receiver) and I just hit the corner and got into the end zone.
Q: When you scored against Oregon to give the Beavers the Civil War win in Autzen Stadium, did you realize at the time what that meant to Oregon State fans?
A: Not at the time. I just saw it like any other (play). I was just trying to make a play whenever I touched the ball.
Q: You were able to break a kickoff return 86 yards for a touchdown against California. Is that something you had been looking forward to?
A: I've been looking for it and I finally got me one. At first, I was kind of in a slump on that and I was trying real hard to get a return, but I just let it come to me and I got a return.
Q: It looked like you weren't even touched. What did you see during the play?
A: I just saw the great blocking, nice kickout blocking. I just hit the hole and nobody touched me.
Q: Do you have any hobbies off the football field?
A: I like playing basketball. Really, that's it. Playing basketball. Maybe getting an extra lift. Maybe (weight) lifting a lot, but not during football.
Q: Did you play in high school?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Are there NBA players you follow?
A: I like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James. My all-time greatest is Michael Jordan.
Q: Any point guard types you can relate to?
A: T.J. Ford. He's from Houston. When I was in high school, I was seeing myself as T.J. Ford. I couldn't really shoot at first, but I had defense. As I got older, I started developing a little shot.
Q: The Trail Blazers have put an interesting team together with players like Greg Oden and Brandon Roy. Will they get you as a fan?
A: Well, we went to see the Trail Blazers play Toronto and I liked them. I saw Brandon Roy play and I really liked him, but my favorite team is the Suns. I like Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire.
Q: Did you experience any culture shock coming to Oregon from Texas?
A: It's not like Texas, obviously, but it was really just adjusting to the whole atmosphere. Texas is just way hotter and I come here and it's like running in the cold. So it was a big adjustment.
Q: Now that you're a sophomore, what area do you think you've made the greatest strides in for the Beavers?
A: Just being a great football player and even my character, too. Just building character and becoming a good football player.
Q: Has it surprised you that the Beavers put together such a push toward the Rose Bowl?
A: No, I thought we could do it. We just went through a slump at the beginning of the season and then came out of it, just coming out here and working hard every week.
Q: You're known for your polite, "yes, sir" and "no, sir" responses. Is that due to your upbringing?
A: It's just how I was brought up by my parents and the people who looked after me, which is my mom and my uncle. So that's pretty much how I was brought up.
When I say, "Yes, sir, No, sir, most people think, "Are you from the south?" And I tell them, "Yes." Because they say people in other states don't say "yes, sir" or "no, sir." They say "yeah" or "no." But it was just how I was brought up.