In Memoriam: Charles “Corky” Buxton Rogers IV
December 19, 1943 – February 26, 2020
He was a man with a smile that would light up the room, and to glance at his career wins and losses on the football field, he had plenty to smile about. Corky Rogers, one of the winningest high school coaches ever to guide the game, passed away of cancer Feb. 26 at the age of 76, leaving his family, hundreds of former football players, and the entire Bolles School community brokenhearted.
As former head football coach of both Robert E. Lee High School (1972-1988) and The Bolles School (1989-2016) he never had a losing season. In all, Rogers retired from 45 years of coaching with 465 wins, 84 losses, one tie, and 10 state championships to become the most successful coach in the history of Florida. In fact, in his 45 years as head coach, his teams reached the state title game 16 times.
During his tenure, he ranked fifth nationally in career wins among active coaches. In 2011, he was the eighth coach in the history of high school football throughout the United States to reach 400 wins. During his career, he also held the Florida state record for most state titles won among coaches and racked up 83 playoff victories – 78 at Bolles alone – which is more than any coach in state history. In 2016, he led Bolles to its 17th appearance in the state championship, a state record.
Rogers was named National High School Football Coach of the Year for 2004-05 by the National High School Coaches Association, and in August 2015, he landed on top of a field of 28 high school, college and National Football League (NFL) head coaches in the “Greatest Football Coach in Florida” bracket established by the Orlando Sentinel, where he beat out Bobby Bowden of Florida State, Steve Spurrier of the University of Florida, and Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins.
Not only a great coach, Rogers was also a great athlete. A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Riverside, he played football and baseball for the Generals, winning the Class 2A state baseball title in 1961, the year of his graduation.
Rogers went on to play football at Georgia Tech and attended NFL training camps with the Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins as a tight-end receiver. His first coaching job was at Ribault Junior High, where he served as offensive coordinator before being appointed Head Coach at Lee High School in 1972. During his 17 years at Lee, he accumulated 10 consecutive district titles, which was a state record at the time, and a winning record of 141-39-1.
An impressive number of his athletes have gone on to play football at the collegiate level, including 156 at Bolles. Rogers also coached 11 former players who went on to compete in the NFL.
In a letter written to Roger’s widow, Linda, Steve Hyers of Miramar expressed his gratitude for the great impact the coach had on his life. “Thank you for letting Coach Rogers spend those late afternoons, and in some cases weekends, preparing us not only for sports – but life,” Hyers wrote. As a former 1975 graduate of Lee High School who played football for Rogers, Hyers said he received a football scholarship to University of Tennessee where he played football, graduated cum laude, was vice president of the student government, was All-Academic Conference, and was nominated for a Rhodes Scholarship. He now runs a $35 million company.
In the letter, Hyers said he never forgot the “maxims” Roger’s taught his players, which he credited with his success, such as “it’s the little things that count,” or “compensate for your lack of talent by outworking your competition,” or “address and work on your weaknesses before enhancing your strengths daily.”
Bolles’ Upper School Dean of Students John Newman said Rogers was an inspiration to all who played or worked with him. “As someone who competed against Coach Rogers when he was at Lee, coached with him at Bolles for years, and had my son play for him, I have nothing but great memories of Coach Rogers. In addition to his passion for competing, he was humble, kind and a great role model for all of us. Because of his leadership, we were able to take the guys in our program and develop them into young men who understood the importance and value of sacrifice, commitment, determination, and family. We also won a few football games, too. Coach Rogers will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Perhaps even more than football, Rogers loved his family and reserved every Sunday to be with them, either at the beach, eating at different restaurants around town, or, during football season, sitting with them at Jaguars games. “He always tried to put our family first,” said his daughter Tracy Rogers White. “I don’t know if my dad has always come across as putting family first, but he always put my sister and I and our mom before anything else, and he always tried to make up for the time when he was away coaching.”
During family time, Rogers enjoyed music and dancing, White said. “We would dance on the beach. We would dance in my parents’ home. We would dance if we went to listen to live music together. He would listen to music for hours, and he always wanted you to hear the same songs over and over,” she said, noting some of his favorite musicians were the BeeGees, Elvis Presley, and the Four Seasons. “As Dad grew older and the grandkids came along, he would do funny dances such as “The Sprinkler.” They knew that every time they would see Papa that he would say, ‘listen to this song.’ It was a big part of our family.”
And football was, in a way, also a family affair. Rogers taught his daughters several of the same “maxims,” he shared with his football players such as to work hard and to treat others as you wish to be treated. “We were always told to give and do our best. Success will come and follow, but every day, as long as we give it our all and put everything in, that was all he expected from us and from others as well,” she said.
White cheered for her father’s team when she was in high school at Lee. Her sister, Jennifer Rogers Drawdy, cheered for him in high school at Bolles, as did White’s daughter, Sidney Yost. White’s son, Mason Yost, was on his team at Bolles and went on to play college football at Liberty University. “To play and cheer for their grandfather was a huge part of their lives and something they had looked forward to their whole life,” said White.
Since her father’s death, White said many of his former players have reached out to share how he touched their lives. “My dad was always there to pick someone up and help them through the tough times,” she said, noting for one player he purchased shoes and for another he bought eyeglasses because the boy couldn’t see and was failing in school. “Finding out these stories after he passed has just been, well I can’t even express it in words,” she said. “I had no idea the stuff he did or the amount of lives he touched.”
Rogers is survived by his wife, Linda, daughters, Tracy Rogers White (Keith) and Jennifer Rogers Drawdy (Clint), and six grandchildren: Sidney Yost, Mason Yost, Sennett Drawdy, Price Drawdy, Shelby Drawdy and Mae Drawdy.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading... 
