Neal comes home for game in the 'Boro

Neal Rodgers points at a home camera

Rodgers, 2nd Palladin from the left, engages in head-to-head combat

Neal's family- sister Carmen (2nd from left), mother Jill and father Ryan

When Neal Rodgers signed with Furman in February of 2009 one game he was looking forward to was his first opportunity to play Georgia Southern in Paulson Stadium. When the Paladins made the trip in to Statesboro in '09 Neal was a redshirt. Last season Rodgers played against the Eagles in Greenville in a thriller won by Southern 28-26. So, October 15, 2011 was his first chance to play on a field that he visited on several occasions as football player in Lyons. Rodgers started at nose tackle and was credited with two tackles- a solo stop and he assisted on a tackle- in Furman's 50-20 loss to the top ranked Eagles. Neal said, "Overall this was a game in which we came out and got beat on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game. "We are really going to have to work on something this week and get ready for the Wofford Terriors." Watch highlights and a slideshow  Youtube video

Rodgers and the Palladins are 2-1

Rodgers sacks the Presbyterian QB		Neal pressures the QB from behind

Neal Rodgers, a redshirt sophomore, is the starting nose tackle for the 2-1 Furman Palladins. Neal, who wears number 94, has been involved in eight tackles including a sack in Saturdays 62-21 home win over Presbyterian. The Palladins opened up their season with a 30-23 loss at Coastal Carolina. Rodgers had three solo tackles and two assists. Then the following Furman opened Southern Conference play with a 16-6 victory at The Citadel. Rodgers had a solo tackle in that game. On Saturday the Palladins raced to a 48-14 half time lead over Presbyterian. Quarterback Chris Forcier, a UCLA transfer, threw seven touchdown passes and then ran for another score. The seven TD passes are a Southern Conference record and the eight touchdowns a school record. Neal had two solo tackles and a quarterback sack in the second quarter. The situation was third down and 16 at the Pale Hose 19-yard line. Up next Furman will travel to Western Carolina for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Saturday. Watch a slideshow of Neal's first three games compliments his mother- Jill.

2010 season

Neal's season ends with goal line stand

Neal Rodgers's first full season of playing football at Furman ended with a 32-28 home loss to rival Georgia Southern. Neal made two tackles and participated in a goal line stand, in the third quarter, that stopped the Eagles four straight times inside the two-yard line. Furman, playing for head coach Bobby Lamb who resigned the day before the game, led 14-0, 21-10 and 28-17. Neal finished his redshirt freshman season with eight total tackles- four solos and four assists. Rodgers talks about the game Audio

Almost deja vu for Rodgers

In his sophomore season with the Toombs County Bulldogs Neal Rodgers picked off a pass and ran it in for a touchdown. He almost did the same thing in his redshirt Freshman season with Furman. In a Southern Conference game at Elon Rodgers, a nose guard, nearly intercepted a pass and ran it in for six. Neal talks about the play and his season Audio