Calgary Stampeders’ Eric Rogers hauls in a pass against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Aug. 29. Among the ways the Stampeders have created offence is by turning to Rogers, who’s moved into the slot from wide receiver.John Woods/The Canadian Press
Mr. Rogers' neighbourhood has been the CFL end zone seven times this year, which leads the league at its halfway point. Television and social media have turned this development into a running gag. Recently, one of Eric Rogers's followers posted a picture of the original Mr. Rogers, Fred Rogers, on Twitter, but pasted in Eric's face in place of the popular children's show television host.
Whenever Rogers catches a touchdown pass from Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, announcers wonder how many more beautiful days in the neighbourhood will Mr. Rogers have in this his breakout CFL season.
Rogers, a bubbly, buoyant 24-year-old who says he is far more aware of the original children's TV series than he is of the Eddie Murphy parodies that ran for years on Saturday Night Live, is happy enough to go along with the schtick. This is all new territory for the graduate of California Lutheran, who signed with the Stampeders last July after he was released by the Ottawa RedBlacks.
Rogers played two regular-season games for the Stampeders down the stretch last year and impressed enough that he was in the lineup for the Western Division final, where he caught two touchdown passes in the win over the Edmonton Eskimos. On the day they won the Grey Cup, Rogers led all receivers with five catches for 108 yards.
"Last year was a good situation for us because we were able to clinch early, so we played all of our guys – and when he played, he showed exactly what he's doing this year," Stampeders offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson said. "I have to admit, it took a little guts to keep him in the lineup last year, but he deserved it.
"He's done better than you could have even expected this year. He's taken a primary role in our offence, both in the run game and the pass game. He's done an excellent job."
Rogers will be front and centre when the Eskimos visit McMahon Stadium on Monday for the annual Labour Day clash, a battle of two teams trending upward. Injuries to running back Jon Cornish and to most of the key members of the team's offensive line have not derailed the Stampeders, who are 7-2 to lead the CFL.
The surging Eskimos are right behind at 6-3 and coming off a 38-15 win over the Toronto Argonauts behind quarterback James Franklin.
The Labour Day classic is many things – the start of a home-and-home series between two provincial rivals, the unofficial start of the second half – but mostly it's a chance for the two best teams in the Western Division to assess where they're at.
Edmonton, which lost quarterback Mike Reilly to injury in the first week, activated him Thursday and then traded away the nominal No. 2, Matt Nichols, to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Franklin had a sensational debut against the Argonauts – completing 29 of 38 passes – and he's getting a chance to play with fellow University of Missouri alumnus Kendial Lawrence, who has managed to put up 1,446 yards this season, 1,045 on returns. Franklin, Lawrence and receiver Derel Walker – with 31 catches for 472 yards in his past three games – are the reigning CFL players on the week. They will pose a test to the Stampeders' defence, which has moved up to No. 2 overall in the league, after holding the Blue Bombers to 175 yards last week.
All in all, it should be an intriguing matchup.
"The rivalry is certainly back full force," Dickenson said. "We had the upper hand last year [winning all four meetings between the two teams]. Things cycle but we're going to do everything in our power to keep it the way it was."
Among the ways they've created offence is by turning to Rogers, who moved into the slot from wide receiver after Nik Lewis left to join the Montreal Alouettes. Switching to the inside involves a significant shift in responsibilities, Rogers said.
"You've got to be in tune with protection," he said. "You've got to be in tune with what they're doing on defence with blitzes and such, because you have to adjust your routes when certain guys blitz. One of the biggest things is blocking. I take pride in trying to block as well as I can. I've felt like in some games, I was blocking better than others, but every game, I'm out there competing, blocking."
Rogers, coming off a 152-yard performance against the Bombers, is the CFL's leading receiver, with 812 passing yards. What's impressive about his play is the way he goes up after footballs, rather than waiting for them to drop into his hands.
"In a league where the DBs are this good, you want to come back to the ball and get it at its highest point," Rogers said. "That's what you've got to do – attack the ball when it's in the air."
As for Dickenson, he described the first half as "the most challenging first nine games of a season I've been part of. We were ambushed at one position basically – offensive line. It was tough. We had good coaching, a good plan from our scouting, good leadership by Huf [head coach John Hufnagel]. But the players ultimately have to win games – and they have."