Rodney Rogers’ Spanish tutor at Wake Forest once said a thread of grace ran through Rogers. And that’s the simplest truth of who he was and how he will be remembered. A man stitched together with kindness, courage, quiet strength, and humility.

On Saturday, the school announced that Rogers had passed away on Friday. And in honor of the former Demon Deacons, they took to Instagram to post a tribute highlighting his legacy as one of the school’s most influential athletes.

“We grieve the passing of Rodney Rogers, 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award winner and Wake Forest Basketball legend…Wake Forest extends its deepest condolences to the Rogers family and all who were inspired by Rodney’s extraordinary life, career and spirit.”

Rogers died from “natural causes related to the spinal cord injury he suffered on Nov. 28, 2008,” according to the release. In their message, Wake Forest also highlighted how Rogers “embodied #ProHumanitate.”

Born on June 20, 1971, in Durham, North Carolina, Rodney Rogers earned the nickname “the Durham Bull” for his physical style and dominance on the court. After dominating in his high school career at Hillside, Rogers joined Wake Forest in 1990, where he made an immediate impact.

In his freshman year, he won the ACC Rookie of the Year. By 1993, Rogers elevated his game even more and was named ACC Player of the Year, averaging 21.2 points and 7.4 rebounds that season, and became a First Team All-American. His accomplishments at Wake Forest were honoured when his No. 54 jersey was retired in February 1996.

In the 1993 NBA draft, Rodney Rogers was drafted by the Denver Nuggets as the 9th pick. Over the years, Rogers played for several NBA teams and continued to build his legacy, retiring after the 2004-5 season. With his NBA days behind him, Rogers went home to Durham and took on a hands-on role, operating heavy machinery for the city’s public works department.

In ‘08, however, Rogers was paralyzed from the shoulders down after suffering from a heartbreaking accident. But the basketball star never stopped inspiring people. And while his achievements speak for themselves, the reaction that followed his passing said even more.

Fans and the basketball community reflect on his legacy

As news of Rodney Rogers’ passing broke, fans and his close ones took to social media to pay their respects.

“Rodney is the strongest person I have ever met — physically and mentally — and his resilience was evident in the fight he showed every single day. I’ve said this before, and I still mean it today: he was the best athlete ever to walk onto Wake Forest’s campus. He meant so much to so many people, and I feel profoundly blessed to have been with him yesterday,” Demon Deacons great and former teammate Randolph Childress said in a statement released by the school as per ESPN.

After he suffered a spinal cord injury from a dirt bike accident in November ‘08, the doctors gave him a 50-50 chance of survival. Yet, even during those tough days, Rodney never changed. “He is totally 100 percent my soulmate,” his wife Faye said back in 2017. “He has not changed through adversity. He is giving, considerate, thoughtful of people, me and our family. He is the same, only still.”

He later established a foundation, where he encouraged people suffering from spinal cord injuries like his, emphasising resilience and personal growth in the face of those challenges. He often echoed the mantra of keep going, saying, “taking it one day at a time and trying to get things done … You just deal with it and move forward. That’s what I did.”

Taking to their Twitter, the Brooklyn Nets wrote, “We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Rodney Rogers, a former Net and member of our 2003 Eastern Conference Championship team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family today.”

In his professional career of over 12 years, with seven franchises including the Nuggets, Clippers, Suns, Celtics, Nets, Hornets, and 76ers, Rogers became known for his toughness and versatility, peaking in 2000 when he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 13.8 points off the bench for the Suns.

Rogers’ career had several moments that had people talking for years. One of the wildest came in Denver, when he buried three threes in just nine seconds, a burst that still shows up in classic NBA clips today. Across 866 NBA games, he put up 10.9 points, 4.5 boards, and 2 assists a night while shooting 45.1% from the field. His best scoring year came in 1997–98, when he poured in 15.1 points per game during his third season with the Clippers, even as that LA team struggled through a 17–65 campaign.

“Rodney maintained his warm and welcoming presence throughout his time in the league and even after his tragic accident in 2008 that left him paralyzed. I am honored that I had the privilege to personally experience his joy,” said NBPA’s executive director Andre Iguodala.

While Dave Odom, Rogers’ coach at Wake Forest, emphasized how basketball ran through his veins. “It’s easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out to everyone who knew him was that he was every bit as remarkable as a human being. He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved Wake Forest and he loved the game of basketball. He loved playing for Wake Forest”.

That could not be truer. His Wake Forest teammates have already given us enough glimpses into his humanity over the years.

“I was in Italy, and Rodney was on the opposite side of the world. Coach Odom would call and say, ‘Call Rodney. He needs to hear from you.’ So I’d call him and he wouldn’t answer, and I’d call him and he wouldn’t answer. So I left a message and said, ‘Listen, I’m six hours ahead, and I will call your ass all night until you pick up the phone.’ And the minute I left that voice mail my phone rang. If he heard that life was dealing me a challenge … he would let me know, like he always has, ‘I got your back, and I’m here.’ Every time we talk the conversation reverts back to how he can help me,” Randolph Childress reflected in 2017.

Many fans also took to Wake Forest’s post to pay their tributes to the legendary player. “NC Legend. Praying for his family & everyone who loved him. 🙏🏽🎩” wrote one fan, while another honoured his Durham roots with, “Durham Bull! 💙🤍🐝😔🙏🏾.” Many echoed how deeply he impacted both Durham and Winston-Salem, with one fan sharing, “Rip Hot Rod. Durham and Winston Salem will NEVER forget you🖤.”

That was Rodney through and through. The man with the biggest, most mischievous grin whenever someone asked him who the best player in the NBA was. He never paused, never softened his answer. In that bold, booming voice of his, he’d declare, “Me!”