Oct.17.2011
According to Websters dictionary the phrase “underdog” is defined as a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict. If sports gives us anything beside excitement it's great stories. Aaron Rodgers is known for his Super Bowl win last year in Dallas against the Pittsburgh Steelers and his pin-point accuracy. What people may not know is how he got to the NFL.
Initially a projected No.1 selection in the 2005 draft, Rodgers slid down to the 24th selection where the Green Bay Packers took him to replace Brett Favre at some point. Two years later Favre "had" claimed he had retired and when he tried to return, and the Packers said no! While the fans demanded for Favre's return, Rodgers who had learned under Favre for two years did not waste anytime making his mark. Rodgers became the only player in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a starting QB.
Aaron Rodgers was born in Chico in Butte County, California playing primarily Baseball. In High School he attended Pleasant Valley High School where he started as Quarterback for two years passing for 4,421 yards. Despite his record-setting statistics, he garnered little interest from Division 1 programs, with his only offer coming as a walk-on from Illinois. Rodgers declined the invitation, and considered quitting football, to work towards become a lawyer. Before he made any rash decisions he was recruited to play football at Butte Community College in Oroville, a local junior college 15 miles from where he grew up. In his freshman season Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns, leading his team to a 10-1 record, the NorCal Conference Championship and a number 2 national ranking. A year later Rodgers was recruited by Cal State and head coach Jeff Tedford. It only took five games for Rodgers to be named the starting quarterback, coincidentally his first start came against Illinois. Tedford really helped polish Rodgers, turning him from an under-regarded passer into a star quarterback.
Despite his success in college, Rodgers was passed by 23 teams including his boyhood favorite San Francisco 49ers who had the 1st overall selection and went with Quarterback Alex Smith out of Utah. Rodgers struggled during the combine, which he believes might have been the reason that he fell so low, but what does not get accounted for during the combine is a person's character, and their will to win, and Rodgers is high on both of those. In 2010 Rodgers broke the record for most sacks in a season with 50, a stat that he probably would like to have back. That year he led the Packers to the playoffs and nearly pulled off one of the greatest playoff comebacks against the Arizona Cardinals, before losing in overtime 51-45. A year later Rodgers literally put his team taking an injury filled Packers squad all the way to the Super Bowl, where he dominated the formidable Pittsburgh Steelers defense and took home the MVP honours.
Rodgers is entering his seventh NFL season, fourth as a starter, and is quickly becoming a name that is getting mentioned with the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. His ability to be mobile outside the pocket and deliver a perfect throw to any one of his receivers, has allowed him to put up stats that a fantasy owner could only dream for. It took Rodgers only three years to win a Super Bowl four less then his predecessor needed. Favre had a “gun-slinger” mentality, but Rodgers perfected that mentality. With the ability to throw in the pocket, on the run, avoiding pass blockers, and throwing a lot less interceptions, Rodgers has made himself into a better quarterback then Favre could ever dream for. At age 27 Rodgers is only going to get better, and by the end of his career Green Bay will be known not as the land of Brett Favre but as the home of Aaron Rodgers.
