In February of 2016 standout Blake cornerback Isaiah Rodgers signed and committed to the University of Massachusetts after being offered a four year scholarship. Rodgers was nothing short of amazing throughout his high school career, and has carried some of that talent through to college as he wraps up his freshman year. Rodgers is starting kick returner and corner for the Minutemen.

In a recent interview with The Jacket he discusses college, football, and his future.

Courtney Brown: How was your experience at Blake?
Isaiah Rodgers: Great experience. Met a lot of new people coming from the rival school, Middleton, and transitioning over to Blake 10th grade year helped me become the man I am today with all the help and guidance Blake provided me.

CB: How is college different from high school?
IR: College is different from high school because all of the gaps between class and parents aren’t there to wake you up for school and class sizes are much larger to work with.

CB: What’s you favorite thing about college?
IR: Favorite thing about college is the culture of people you get to meet and see where everyone is from and also the ages of people. some classes you would see a 60 year old coming back to get their degree and it’s just great to see their story.

CB: What’s it like traveling the country playing football?
IR: Feels great. Nothing better than getting to do what you love and traveling the world while doing it, great experience.

CB: Do you or your teammates have a pre-game ritual? If so what is it?
IR: Well not the entire team but some players after we run out the tunnel to begin our game you will always see me and most of the players go down into the end zone and get on one knee and pray before the games.

CB: What’s it like moving from Florida to Massachusetts? Where do you prefer?
IR: It’s very different. Moving from Florida, the sunshine state to Massachusetts, the freezing state. I’ve seen snow before but never in the month of October until I made my transition to Massachusetts. I had to get used to the lifestyle of jeans and boots instead of shorts and shoes.

CB: What classes are you taking currently? What major are you looking into to pursue?
IR: Currently in the journalism major department and taking intros of journalism of college and broadcasting journalism.

CB: How was your football season as a freshman?
IR: My season as a freshman was greater than I thought it would be. I needed to be a team leader in interceptions, pass deflections, and kick return yards and also finished 14th in the nation in kick return yards overall and 5th in the nation out of freshmen’s.

CB: Once you leave college what do you see yourself doing in life?
IR: Plans after college would be to be in the NFL but my backup plan is to use my degree in journalism and go in to sports journalism and broadcasting.

CB: How has Blake helped you in college?
IR: Blake helped me a lot preparing me for the lifestyle of college and teaching and me the major keys in college as in time management and planning.

CB: What do you miss the most about Blake?
IR: What I miss the most about Blake is the people I can relate to. At Blake everyone there was from around the area so we all could relate to. At Blake everyone there was around the area so we all could relate to each other and some way some how but with college it’s people from different countries speaking different languages and it’s difficult to meet people easily like in high school.

CB: What do you want to say to all the people at Blake who miss you?
IR: All people back at Blake who miss me, trust me I miss you more and I can’t wait to come back and see everyone. Love ya’ll.