‘Rodney Rogers Day’ at Wake Forest Set for Jan. 31 at Joel Coliseum for Big Four Showdown
12/8/2025 11:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Rogers was one of the most transformative players in program history and remains the only Demon Deacon to earn ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest men's basketball will hold Rodney Rogers Day celebrating the life and legacy of the Demon Deacon legend and 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award honoree on Saturday, Jan. 31, when the team faces NC State at LJVM Coliseum.
The first 1,000 Wake Forest students in attendance will receive a replica Rodney Rogers jersey and a limited number of fans will receive a No. 54 button.
Throughout this season, the men's basketball team is wearing No. 54 jersey patches in honor of Rogers. His No. 54 jersey hangs in the rafters of LJVM Coliseum and is one of 11 jerseys retired by the program. Prior to the team's game against Campbell on Nov. 25, the team also held a moment of silence in remembrance of Rogers.
Known as the "Durham Bull" during his prep career, Rogers brought that same power and relentlessness to Winston-Salem. He became the catalyst for elevating Wake Forest men's basketball into one of the nation's premier programs throughout the 1990s.
Rogers made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991 while leading the Demon Deacons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984. He followed with a First Team All-ACC selection in 1992, and in 1993—after guiding Wake Forest to the NCAA Sweet 16—he was named ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
He remains one of only seven players in ACC history, and the only Demon Deacon, to earn both ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
After his junior season, Rogers declared for the NBA Draft, but the foundation he helped build powered the program's rise. Wake Forest went on to make seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991–97, including an ACC Championship run and the Tim Duncan era under the leadership of Coach Dave Odom that followed immediately after Rogers' departure.
Rogers was selected ninth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA Draft — the program's highest draft position since Len Chappell went fourth overall in 1962. Over a distinguished 12-year NBA career, Rogers averaged 11 points per game, earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors and became widely respected for his toughness, versatility and professionalism before retiring in 2005.
In 2008, a life-altering accident left Rogers paralyzed from the shoulders down, yet he remained a powerful and inspirational presence. His perseverance, positive outlook and commitment to others led to the establishment of the Rodney Rogers Foundation, where he encouraged individuals living with spinal cord injuries and used his platform to promote resilience and personal growth. His story of courage continued to inspire the Wake Forest community and countless others across the country.
In recognition of his impact, Rogers received one of Wake Forest University's highest honors as a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. With that, President Susan R. Wente awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at that event.
The first 1,000 Wake Forest students in attendance will receive a replica Rodney Rogers jersey and a limited number of fans will receive a No. 54 button.
Throughout this season, the men's basketball team is wearing No. 54 jersey patches in honor of Rogers. His No. 54 jersey hangs in the rafters of LJVM Coliseum and is one of 11 jerseys retired by the program. Prior to the team's game against Campbell on Nov. 25, the team also held a moment of silence in remembrance of Rogers.
Known as the "Durham Bull" during his prep career, Rogers brought that same power and relentlessness to Winston-Salem. He became the catalyst for elevating Wake Forest men's basketball into one of the nation's premier programs throughout the 1990s.
Rogers made an immediate impact as a freshman, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991 while leading the Demon Deacons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984. He followed with a First Team All-ACC selection in 1992, and in 1993—after guiding Wake Forest to the NCAA Sweet 16—he was named ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
He remains one of only seven players in ACC history, and the only Demon Deacon, to earn both ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
After his junior season, Rogers declared for the NBA Draft, but the foundation he helped build powered the program's rise. Wake Forest went on to make seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991–97, including an ACC Championship run and the Tim Duncan era under the leadership of Coach Dave Odom that followed immediately after Rogers' departure.
Rogers was selected ninth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA Draft — the program's highest draft position since Len Chappell went fourth overall in 1962. Over a distinguished 12-year NBA career, Rogers averaged 11 points per game, earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors and became widely respected for his toughness, versatility and professionalism before retiring in 2005.
In 2008, a life-altering accident left Rogers paralyzed from the shoulders down, yet he remained a powerful and inspirational presence. His perseverance, positive outlook and commitment to others led to the establishment of the Rodney Rogers Foundation, where he encouraged individuals living with spinal cord injuries and used his platform to promote resilience and personal growth. His story of courage continued to inspire the Wake Forest community and countless others across the country.
In recognition of his impact, Rogers received one of Wake Forest University's highest honors as a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. With that, President Susan R. Wente awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at that event.
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