On Friday, Rodgers, who finished his high school career with a Texas record of 136 touchdowns and more than 8,000 yards, was named the first Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Player of the Year.
School administrators and the Fort Bend Herald presented Rodgers the award Friday morning at a packed assembly that included about 1,200 classmates, teachers and coaches.
"It feels great," Rodgers told the newspaper. "This means a whole lot to me, because I worked hard throughout my high school career to achieve awards like this."
The offensive and defensive players of the year from the five APSE all-state teams were eligible for the award, which was chosen by a panel of sports writers.
Accolades and honors are just one part of life for Rodgers, who learned early on that academic achievement and athletic victories don't come without hard work.
"Every day, I just try to get better, whether it's making blocks or getting good grades," said Rodgers, whose nickname is "Mr. Touchdown."
Raised in the Houston suburb of Richmond, Rodgers soldiered past the ragged streets and drug-infested corners of his neighborhood by focusing on the future and adhering to the values sculpted by a strict but loving family.
Tasha Williams, a mental health aide at Richmond State School, was a single mother who taught Rodgers and her three other children that homework was their first responsibility.
"I made sure they put business before pleasure, and didn't let anything come between them and school," she said.
Bad grades just weren't tolerated. Bringing home a "C" meant a six-week grounding, recalled James Rodgers, Jacquizz's brother who played with him at Lamar and is now a freshman at Oregon State.
Their mother had some help driving home the message from a pair of watchful uncles who helped raise the children. Her brothers, Michael Lewis, a safety with the San Francisco 49ers, and Rodney Williams, a Houston attorney, dispensed unapologetic discipline and generous rewards.
Their actions helped compensate for the void left by Rodgers' father, who drifted in and out of prison for dealing drugs. James Rodgers Sr. has been in prison since 2004 on drug charges.
Rodney Williams often sat with his nephews while they did homework at the kitchen table. Lewis spent hours running James and Jacquizz through drills on the football field. Both uncles stay in constant contact with the two.
"Growing up where we grew up, it's easy to go down the wrong path, easy to go after the wrong things," Rodney Williams said. "We taught them the importance of hard work and determination, how it pays off for you in the end -- in the classroom and after school."
Those lessons paid off for Rodgers, who was faced with naysayers who said he was too small for football at 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds. And again, when many said the Lamar team could not make a run to state after James Rodgers and other key players graduated last year.
Jacquizz Rodgers did not get discouraged, though. Instead, he hunkered down and got to work.
That's typical, Rodney Williams said. Rodgers has been always been a fierce competitor -- determined to win whether on the basketball court, football field, or playing cards or dominoes.
"He never backs down," his uncle said. "He doesn't care what grade someone is in or how big they are. He'll compete against anyone."
Last summer, Rodgers put in three workouts a day -- one with his team in the morning, another with Lewis, then a third on his own or with Rodney Williams. He worked on speed, agility and strength.
"My family taught me that you have to work hard to get what you want," said Rodgers, who has orally committed to Oregon State. "So I didn't let what people said bother me. I just showed them up on the football field."
The grueling sessions paid off last weekend when Lamar claimed the Class 4A Division I championship in a 20-14 win over Copperas Cove. Rodgers put up 240 yards and three touchdowns. For good measure, he had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.
It was a fitting end statistically to a year in which he rushed for 2,391 yards and 29 touchdowns, and also caught 22 passes for 438 yards and three scores.
"This wasn't the year I thought I could do it; I thought that was last year. But God said put in an extra year of work during the summer," Rodgers said. "Maybe we didn't have top athletes like last year. But we had heart, determination and will to win. We just worked hard."
Since clinching the victory and claiming the state record, Rodgers has been flooded with attention. But his family is not celebrating quite yet.
"That's a great accomplishment, but it will not be the defining factor in his life. He knows his work is not done," Rodney Williams said. "He has to go get his degree. He has to make sure he's a success in life. That will make us happy."
