Documentary to Chronicle the Journey of Former South Carolina Football Great George Rogers

“King George” – the next installment in the SEC Storied film series, debuts on SEC Network, Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 9:00p.m. ET. Produced by ESPN Films in association with NFL Films and directed by James Weiner, the one hour documentary will go deep into the playing career of the Gamecocks’ only Heisman Trophy winner, George Rogers. Trailer: http://es.pn/2w1DnT1

Before the native of Duluth, Georgia suited up in the fall of 1977, the South Carolina football program hadn’t experienced much success.  In fact, the Gamecocks had not won eight games in a season since 1903.  But once George Washington Rogers took his first handoff, everything began to change. In this evocative and touching film, the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner gets to tell his own story with humor, honesty and humility.

“With the incredible success George Rogers had in 1980 on his way to winning the Heisman, it would have been easy for him to get carried away with himself,” says director James Weiner. “But that’s not what happened and it’s certainly not what I found when I interviewed George and talked to others about him.  Through the ups and downs in his life, he’s remained humble and appreciative of those who’ve been there to support him along the way.”

Rogers is revered for setting South Carolina on a winning path, leading the team to 8-4 records in both his junior and senior seasons. He is also beloved for uniting the state in collective hope as he made his successful run to the Heisman Trophy. And while Rogers didn’t fully realize his promise as the No. 1 pick of the 1981 NFL Draft, he did enjoy an outstanding rookie season and helped lead the ’87 Redskins to a Super Bowl title while demonstrating that he was the consummate team player. Today there stands a statue of him on the Columbia, South Carolina campus, not just for the runner that he was, but for the man that he became as he persevered through personal and family struggles.   The statue depicts Rogers standing on a bench in support of his teammates. As his Redskins coach, Joe Gibbs, says, “He had a great heart.”

Advance digital press screeners available upon request.

About SEC Storied

ESPN Films launched the SEC Storied documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the Southeastern Conference.  From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the series has featured films that focus on the SEC’s recent and more distant past, including one of the most-viewed documentaries in ESPN history, “The Book of Manning.”  In 2015 SEC Storied received its first two Sports Emmy nominations for both “Outstanding Sports Documentary” and “Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics” with the film “It’s Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins.”

SEC Network

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014.  The network televises over 45 SEC football games, 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and other events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, daily news and information with SEC Now, original content such as SEC Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network’s digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN app and SECNetwork.com. The network is also available in more than 50 countries throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa via ESPN Player, ESPN’s sports streaming service in the region.

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