Rodger Colbert, Class of 1997

A three-sport captain, Rodger Colbert took the word “compete” to another level in football, basketball and lacrosse. If you faced Colbert, there was a good chance you were in for a long day.

“There’s no doubt Rodger could have received scholarship offers for football if he hadn’t chosen to play lacrosse in college,” said Coach John Mackay. “He had great balance and speed with big play-making ability.” He ended his senior campaign with 46 catches for 741 yards (seven touchdowns) and posted 43 tackles on defense. He earned the Maurice P. Shuman Football Award as the team’s most outstanding player and first-team All-Prep honors in the postseason.

Basketball coach John Stahl described Colbert as a tenacious competitor with innate athletic ability and invaluable leadership skills. “He was so unselfish. And that’s a hard thing to teach. Often outsized, I asked him to guard the other team’s toughest player almost every game. What was his best sport? All I can say is that Rodger was a special athlete.”

Colbert’s athleticism stood out as a first-year student football player and caught the eye of Sports Hall of Fame lacrosse coach Bob Turco ’70. “Due to his toughness and great basketball footwork, a long stick in his hands for me was his natural athletic progression. And wow, did Rodger, with hard work, ever prove that thought correct.” He used his elite speed as a defensive weapon.

Colbert became a two-time All-State selection and an All-American defenseman by his senior year. As a junior starter, he helped the Falcons finish the 1996 season undefeated (No. 4 nationally) while capturing two monumental victories over Lawrenceville. He captained the 1997 team to its second straight Prep A title.

Colbert did not stop there. He became a captain and All-American defenseman at Georgetown University and was then picked 12th by the Bridgeport Barrage of the Major League Lacrosse Draft.