COE Alum Honored with Street Dedication Next to Liberty Stadium

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – College of Education alumnus, Glenn Rogers Sr. was honored on Friday with a street dedication, sealing his legacy in both Memphis and Tiger Football history. The obvious choice of the street was S. Hollywood between Southern and Central Avenues, where Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium calls home.

“I never expected this,” Rogers Sr. said. “I had heard about it but did not know the specifics or think much of it.”

“When you think about Memphis football, you can’t help but think about Glenn Rogers, Sr.,” University of Memphis Athletics Director Dr. Ed Scott said. “His bravery and determination paved the way for countless student-athletes to pursue their dreams at the University of Memphis and beyond. His impact defines the spirit of our University and city, and it’s an honor to celebrate his extraordinary legacy.”

Rogers made history when he walked onto the Memphis State football team as a freshman in 1968, becoming the first Black player to represent the Tigers. He earned a scholarship in his sophomore year, but his experience was clouded by adversity, leading him to distance himself from the University after graduating. It wasn’t until his son, Glenn Rogers Jr., played for the Tigers in the late '80s — poetically wearing his father’s No. 26 — that Rogers Sr. began to reconnect with the program.

“(Rogers Jr.) said, ‘Dad, you never say bad things about Memphis, but you also don’t ever say good things about it,’” Rogers Sr. recalled. “He told me that this was a completely different administration and athletic department than when I was there.”

Since then, Rogers has been a passionate supporter of the Tigers, earning the M Club Hall of Fame's Billy J. Murphy Award in 2000 for his contributions to the team and the community.

After graduating from Memphis State in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, Rogers dedicated nearly 40 years to teaching and administration in the Memphis area. At Southside High School, he spent 22 years as a teacher and administrator, serving as head football coach for 14 of those years. He later served as an administrator at Hillcrest High School in Memphis and Tunica Middle School in Mississippi before retiring in 2010.

The Memphis City Council possesses the power to name and rename public places in the city. Rogers’ street naming was first presented during the council’s meeting in mid-March and approved in early June. Councilman Chase Carlisle, who presented the ordinance, said the street renaming is the first time in the city's history that a street has been renamed for a living individual.

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