Johnny Steven Rodgers (born July 5, 1951) is an American former gridiron football player. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Rodgers played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes and in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Nicknamed "The Jet" for his rapid acceleration and speed on the field, Rodgers was voted high school athlete of the year as a player for Omaha's Tech High.
As a player with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, Rodgers served as a punt return specialist, pass receiver, and running back. Rodgers broke virtually every offensive team record, was twice named to the College Football All-America Team and won the Walter Camp Award and the Heisman Trophy in 1972 for most outstanding player in college football in the United States.
In his three years with the Cornhuskers, the versatile Rodgers established an all-purpose NCAA yardage record of 5,586. Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne, who served as Nebraska's offensive coordinator in the early 1970s, wrote in his 1985 book More Than Winning that Rodgers had the greatest ability to return punts of any player he ever saw. Likewise, College Football News has described him as "the greatest kick returner in college football history." Rodgers returned seven punts for touchdowns (NCAA record at the time) and one kickoff for a touchdown in his college career.
Johnny Rodgers - The Ambassador of American Music (born John Daniel Rodgers on June 5, 1974) is an internationally celebrated singer-songwriter, pianist, Broadway star, and recording artist whom The New York Times described as an entertainer “[who] can't be found anywhere else” with “fused elements of Billy Joel, Peter Allen and Johnny Mercer.”
Johnny Rodgers was born and grew up in Miami, FL. Musical performance and stage productions were things he really liked early in life (and still does!). He attributes his grandmother's piano playing side by side as what started him down the music path as a youngster. Grandma Brown, who always wanted to be a Ziegfeld Girl, picked out melodies on the piano for four-year-old Johnny to sing. K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy/You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore (Geoffrey O’Hara) rang through the Rodgers house in what one can only imagine were tenuous high pitched tones. Beginning in 7th grade, then high school, Johnny took ballet, tap (his parents set up a piece of plywood on the grass so he could practice) and jazz dance, voice, and finally found his way back to piano. His teacher, Mrs. Warren, assigned Bach. Johnny would show up with The Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel or an Elton John number. Every year he’d perform in musicals. Paula Wayne, who’d starred in Golden Boy (Lee Adams/Charles Strouse) with Sammy Davis Jr., was a valued mentor. At Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Summer Program, Johnny wrote his first song, We May Be Young, But We’re Not Blind. He still excels in love songs.
