A reserve offensive lineman, Stefan Rodgers is now in his third year in Philadelphia. Rogers spent the last two seasons on the Injured Reserve list with a Lis Franc foot sprain in 2007, and a knee injury in 2006. A rookie free agent signee of Tennessee in 2005, he spent that season on Tampa Bay's practice squad.

IN THE TRENCHES
How he has grown in Philly: "I've really worked hard on my technique since coming to Philly. In college I was killing guys on pure athletic ability. All I had to do was stay in front of them. Now I have to make sure my hand placement and technique are perfect. I can't control what other people do, but I can control how hard I work."
His definition of an O-lineman: "We do the dirty work, plus get to hit people. That's why I quit basketball, because I kept fouling out."
Favorite O-lineman: William Thomas "I watched him a whole lot growing up. I really like his game. He's so smooth, but yet he's so physical."
Career Games Played/Started: (Buccaneers 2005, Eagles 2006-07); 2005 (0/0); 2006 (0/0); 2007 (0/0). Total: (0/0). Playoff Games Played/Started: 2005 (0/0), 2006 (0,0). Total: (0/0).

BIRDSEED:

• Recruited heavily out of high school as a power forward on the hardwood, Rodgers never stepped on the football field until his junior year in college. After arriving on the Lambuth campus, he went on to start for the basketball team in his first two years. As a junior, he decided to take a chance with football where he could utilize his physical nature and size, which sometimes got him in trouble on the court. A starter at tight end for two seasons, he moved to offensive tackle as a 5th-year senior and the NFL came calling. "Basketball became a chore. I was too physical for that league and I ended up fouling too much. With football, I could be as aggressive as I wanted to."
• Began his competitve basketball career at the age of 8, when he joined a local AAU program in North Little Rock, Arkansas. A little raw at the time, he later blossomed into one of the top junior players in the area by the age of 13, one year after he could already dunk a basketball. His team, the Little Rock Wings, was a high profile program sponsored by Nike, with alumni such as Joe Johnson and Derek Fisher. During his time with the Wings, he played against the likes of Richard Jefferson and DaJuan Wagner

PERSONAL:

• Single and resides in Philadelphia
• Although the only child of his mother, Sandra, comes from a large family with lots of cousins. Sandra, a technical writer for Fidelity Mutual, has six brothers and sisters. Learned his blue collar work ethic from his granparents, George and Gloria Rodgers
• Worked for his grandfather, George, who has been with the same used car dealership for over 40 years. "Daddy George" as everybody calls him, used to have Stefan and his siblings travel to pick up cars that the dealership would buy, and drive them back to the lot, even going as far as California. "Working with him was great. Everybody in the family always had a car, and he taught us what it was to work hard. He'd work seven jobs in order to provide his seven kids whatever they needed. He got me my first car, a grey 1987 Honda Accord. It's still in the family. We don't get rid of cars, we recycle them."
• Nicknamed "Honey Man" by his grandmother for being such a sweet kid, and "Stuff" for always being clogged up with allergies
• His part-time jobs as a youngster included delivering matresses, working in a DVD factory, and as a shopping cart attendant at a Sam's Club store. "Sam's was the worst job ever. It was like 130 degrees in that parking lot in the summer, but my mom wouldn't let me quit. But, when she went out of town for a trip, I got out of that place."
• Grew up a fan of the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Cowboys. His favorite basketball player of all-time is Shaquille O'Neal
• Majored in graphic art
• Full name: Stefan Lemar Rodgers

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS:
A 3-year starter at Lambuth, played two years at tight end before moving to offensive tackle in his senior season. Earned first-team All Mid-South Conference  honors and honorable mention NAIA All-American honors in his senior season. Earned second-team All MSC honors as a tight end in his junior season, posting 8 recepts. for 132 yds. and one TD. Played basketball as a freshman for Lambuth.

INJURY HISTORY:
Underwent successful surgery on 8/21/07 to repair a right Lis Franc foot sprain and was placed on IR on 8/27/07. Was placed on the Injured Reserve list on 9/2/06 after suffering a knee injury in the final preseason game at NYJ (9/1).