Aaron Rodgers has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for the better part of the last 20 years. Now with the New York Jets for his second season, he’ll look to continue that string of success that has turned him into a surefire Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done.
However, Rodgers didn’t just magically become the player he is today. It started out all the way back in college.
Let’s revisit Rodgers’ collegiate career.
Where Did Aaron Rodgers Go to College?
Prior to college, Rodgers was born in California and, following a short stint in Oregon, ultimately attended Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif.
Rodgers started at quarterback for two years, throwing for 4,421 yards. However, he didn’t get much interest from DI colleges due to his unimpressive size (5’10”, 165 pounds). He was rejected from Florida State despite wanting to play under Bobby Bowden.
With his only offer being a walk-on opportunity from the University of Illinois, Rodgers declined and even considered switching from football to baseball. In the end, he was recruited by a junior college — Butte College.
In his first season of junior college, Rodgers threw for 26 touchdowns and led the school to a 10-1 record, the NorCal Conference championship, and a No. 2 national ranking. Rodgers entered the transfer portal after just one year and ended up at the University of California with three years of eligibility left.
After just five games, Rodgers was named the team’s starting quarterback and even beat Illinois, the only DI team that had given him an offer of any sort. He led the Golden Bears to a 7-3 record as the starter and threw for 2,903 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
In his junior season, Rodgers led the team to a 10-1 ranking and top-five ranking by the end of the regular season. The only loss the Golden Bears suffered came at the hands of No. 1 USC.
Aaron Rodgers was dropping dimes at Cal before cashing record-breaking checks in the NFL . pic.twitter.com/z1DVxO2vgh
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 29, 2018
Rodgers threw for 2,566 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Additionally, he led the conference in yards per attempt with 8.1.
While he had another year of college eligibility remaining, Rodgers opted to forgo that and enter the NFL Draft following his junior season. He finished his DI college career with 5,469 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He was taken No. 24 in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Before slipping down the board to the Packers, there were times during the draft process that many thought Rodgers could end up going No. 1 to the San Francisco 49ers, the team he grew up a fan of. However, it didn’t go that way, and Rodgers ended up on the Packers, the team he built a Hall of Fame career with.