TCU product discusses being signed by Dallas Cowboys after going undrafted
As the Dallas Cowboys rookies made their way from across the country to Frisco this past weekend for the team’s rookie minicamp, one fortunate first-year player just had to make a short drive over from Fort Worth.
DJ Rogers, who starred as a tight end for TCU over the last three seasons, was quickly signed by the Cowboys after going undrafted last month. Of the 11 undrafted free agent signings, just Rogers and SMU product Jordan Hudson came from schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“It’s great to stay in the Dallas area,” Rogers said. “Opportunity is everything. Having this opportunity is a blessing, and I’m going to attack it 100-percent every day.”
When a player goes undrafted, one of two things happen. That player either waits on the phone to ring for any opportunity across the league. Or, that player and his agent field a handful of calls from teams wanting to sign him. Fortunately for Rogers, he had the luxury of a few different options.
When considering his choices, not only did the factor of staying local play a role in choosing Dallas, but so did the relationship he built with Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells during the draft process.
“It was great, he was huge,” Rogers said. “He texted me every day during the draft process just getting to know me. He’s huge on building that individual relationship. First, he wants to know the person then the football player which is great because you don’t want to play for a coach that doesn’t know you. You don’t want to play for a coach that you don’t know a lot about. I think it’s a great balance. It’s going to be great for me.”
“[The texts were] just, ‘Stay positive. Keep your head up. Just because you don’t get that phone call doesn’t mean you’re not a good player, or you don’t have a shot or belong in the NFL.’ Being able to stay positive and having the extra motivation, that chip on your shoulder is also what he reminded me.”
Seeing a tight end room of Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford and Luke Schoonmaker also enticed Rogers to jump on board. Of the 11 undrafted signings for Dallas, Rogers and fellow tight end Michael Trigg out of Baylor signed for the most guaranteed money ($200,000).
“Yeah, especially with the tight end room of Ferguson, Spann[-Ford] and Schoon[maker],” he said. “I really like their play style and what Coach Wells has been able to do with them. Especially when we got together and [Wells] taught me install, I really loved what he was telling me, and now he’s going to be able to develop me.”
In his three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Rogers hauled in 53 receptions for 539 yards and five touchdowns. A mainstay on special teams in Fort Worth, Rogers’ best shot at making the 53-man roster for the Cowboys by the end of training camp will be if he finds a role on one or more of the four core special teams units.
