His father, Jimmy Rodgers, later became the head coach of the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jimmy Rodgers was named the MVP of the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team in 1964 and 1965.
Rodgers took a recruiting trip to Iowa at his father’s request, and he wound up committing to Coach Hayden Fry and the Hawkeyes.
His only pass as a freshman in 1988 was intercepted on a fake field goal, and in 1989 the Hawkeyes missed a bowl game for the first time in nine years.
Rodgers was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year along with his teammate, Nick Bell.