Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time
There are some players who fill up a stat sheet at some point in their career but can’t seem to match one season’s contributions year over year. The No. 30 player on our list earns a spot as one of the best wide receivers in school history because of his consistency en route to building a complete resume.
Eli Rogers isn’t a name that immediately springs to mind when you consider all-time great Louisville football wide receivers. However, Rogers was the epitome of consistency and one of the more reliable wide receivers in school history.
Rogers came to Louisville as a part of one of the stronger classes in school history. Even before fellow freshman Teddy Bridgewater could see the field in 2011, Rogers was making an impact right away.
In only his second game, Rogers reeled in five catches for 44 yards. Once Bridgewater, his high school teammate, entered midway through the third game of the season against Kentucky, fans knew they had something special on their hands.
Though he was often overlooked, Rogers made big plays when they were needed the most for the Cards. He finished his career fourth all time in Louisville football history in total receptions.
Rogers finished his career with 176 receptions for 2,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 11.5 yards per reception over four years. He did this working with five different quarterbacks in Will Stein, Bridgewater, Will Gardner, Reggie Bonnafan and Kyle Bolin.
Just like in high school and college, Rogers was overlooked due to his small stature and apparent lack of big-play ability when testing his hand in the NFL. Rogers did not receive an invite to the NFL combine, nor did he get a ton of positive feedback from his Louisville pro day. However, Rogers was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though he sat out the entirety of 2015 due to injury, Rogers persevered and was able to outclass a solid group of receivers to earn one of the final 2016 roster spots. All of a sudden, after some injuries at the beginning of the season, Rogers found himself in a starting role and did not disappoint.
Three years later, he finds himself still among a group of first-teamers that has included names like Antonio Brown, Sammy Coates, JuJu Smith-Schuster and many other big names, yet he has hung around as one of the most reliable slot receivers in the NFL.
Though his career has seen ups and downs due to injuries, Rogers is currently signed to a two-year deal with the Steelers, his second contract extension with the team.