Rogan is seeking to regain the form that made him an All-American at USD
After my redshirt Junior season in 2007 where I eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season, and where I earned the distinction of All-American for my work as a kickoff returner, my path was set. I had agents “putting out their feelers” in an attempt to potentially retain me as a client of theirs following the next season. I had one class left to take to receive my diploma from the University of San Diego (a la Matt Leinart at USC), and my motivation could not have been any greater.
I spent my summer in 2008 working in Northern California and training nearly every day with my uncle who was formerly a drug-free powerlifting champion. I entered our training camp weighing 208 lbs., my heaviest weight ever, and was running faster than I ever had before.
Our first game was my opportunity to showcase my new and improved self, and I had my sights set on breaking records including the NCAA all-purpose yardage records held by Brian Westbrook. The first quarter of our first game was all I had hoped it would be. I had a thirty-six yard kickoff return, one catch for a twenty-nine yard touchdown and three carries for fourty-six yards in the first quarter alone.
However, at the end of the first quarter as I broke free on a thirty-seven yard carry, I attempted to cut back to my right and my left knee gave out. On a cut that I have made hundreds of times, I suffered tears in my ACL, MCL, medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. I also had a microfracture (a chip on the surface of the femur) which would require drilling into the femur to repair. The injury changed everything.
Due to the fact that I had already exhausted my redshirt year, the chances of me being granted a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA were “10%-15%” according to our school’s athletic administration. The doctor who performed my knee surgery classified it as one of the worst knee injuries that he ever had to operate on. I went into surgery in late September, but because of the comprehensive nature of the injury, I needed surgery again in the middle of January. I had gone from the proverbial penthouse to the outhouse. However, I did not know how to fail.
I sent the NCAA over 90 pages of information requesting a 6th year of elgibility and I received it. I trained relentlessly to return from the knee injury, and I was able to participate fully in the training camp. I enrolled in graduate school and furthered my education while playing my entire 6th year for USD. Our team had a poor year while earning only four victories, and I had a poor year as I ran for roughly 500 yards. My plans for playing in the NFL had been seriously derailed.
As I attempt to continue to follow my dream of playing in the NFL, I will be chronicling my efforts. This is the first installment of a series that will cover my training for the NFL.
Week 1
Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily
After a poor season where my only concern was to make sure that my knee could handle the rigors of a full season of football, I had dwindled down to a shell of my previous self. I was certainly not an NFL caliber athlete and I had a long way to go to get back to my previous form. Every spring, NFL scouts from all 32 NFL teams will visit college campuses across the nation to watch graduating players perform a series of tests of athletic ability. The performance of athletes on those tests will go a long way to determining an athlete’s opportunity and compensation in the NFL. I know that the only way to perform at my best is to enlist the help of my uncle.
I had spent the summer before my 2006 season and the summer before my 2008 season training with my uncle. The strength gains I made with him were remarkable and the overall improvement in my athleticism was astounding.
My uncle is the best person for me to train with because he possesses great ability and knowledge as it relates to strength training on top of being anatagonistic and focused. In other words, he is a 47 year old man who can lift more weight than I can in several exercises. He takes me to the gym daily to remind me of this fact and he taunts me while we lift. He can benchpress 360 lbs. and he has won many powerlifting awards. I cannot get that type of guidance, motivation and irritation anywhere.
My training with him began January 5th at a 24 hour fitness near his home near Pasadena. The first week was an introduction week to allow me to get familiar with what type of exercises we’d be doing along with how I would schedule my days. As starting points, I had a 30 inch vertical leap, I weighed 191 lbs., I ran a 4.75 second 40 yard dash and I bench pressed 225 lbs. nine times. I have approximately two months to improve these figures.
By comparison, Knowshon Moreno of the Denver Broncos had a vertical leap of 35.5 inches, weighed 212 lbs., ran a 4.60 second 40 yard dash and could bench press 225 lbs., 25 times. I have a long way to go. However, nobody will work harder to ready themselves for their opportunity in the NFL than I will. With my knee injury behind me, I am ready to regain the size and speed that I once had.
My training is two-fold. I must get bigger and I must faster. The training to get bigger is covered by an intense daily workout session with my uncle coupled with a 5,000+ calorie diet that is high in carbohydrates and protein.
The speed training is a little less simple. I have several points of reference for my speed training. I have had three strength and conditioning coaches from which to draw from, I have trained with speed coach Dake Baskett, who is featured in American Football Monthly magazine, and I have books or DVD’s from USC, Air Force and Virginia Tech on speed training. I utilize anything that is agreed upon by all sources as a definite component of my workouts along with implementing drills/concepts that have worked for me specifically.
My days routinely consist of a speed session and a strength session with food consumption on a regular basis. The only supplement that I take is protein powder and that is primarily for weight gaining. I focus on training my core (abdominals and lower back) as that is believed to be the part of your body that is included in everything that you do. I rotate which musle groups I work in the gym: one day legs, one day shoulders and back, one day arms and chest.
There is no substitute for hard work. I have seen many of my teammates go through this training for their opportunity to play in the NFL so I have learned from their experiences. I plan on making the most out of my opportunity.
