Richard Rodgers Sr.

Richard Rodgers Sr. is an American football coach and former Arena Football League player. He is currently an assistant coach at UCLA, following head coach Bob Chesney there after serving on Chesney's staff at James [Madison Dukes football|James Madison].

Playing career

Rodgers played college football for the California [Golden Bears football|California Golden Bears] and earned all-conference honors as a defensive back. As a junior, he became known for being a part of "The Play" against Stanford, where he handled two of the five laterals that resulted in a miraculous game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Rodgers spent time in the Canadian and Arena football leagues after college.

Coaching career

Rodgers began coaching as soon as he retired from the AFL as a player. Rodgers coached at the college level for 24 seasons before joining the NFL ranks in 2012. In 2014, he was part of the Pro Bowl staff and the following year, Rodgers coached in Super [Bowl 50] with the 2015 [Carolina Panthers season|NFC Champion] Carolina Panthers. He later coached for the Washington Commanders before returning to college coaching in 2025.
Rodgers is the father of five children, including former NFL tight end Richard Rodgers. Like his father, the younger Rodgers played for the California Golden Bears and later also became known for being a part of a miraculous game-ending score while a member of the Green Bay Packers, when he caught a Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers in a play that became known as the Miracle in Motown.