Lake Shore Public Schools is proud to welcome James Rogers as our new head football coach!

The responsibility for the success of the team starts with the coach, who develops the plan that is then executed by the players—who are extremely well-prepared.

His personal mission is simple: To impact our community, one athlete at a time. His background as both an athlete and a coach will be his driving force to accomplish this goal.

James picked up a football when he was 6-years-old and from that day on, he fell in love with the sport.

He attended Lamphere High School where he ranked No. 68 athlete in the country and the No. 23 player in the state of Michigan. James had 430 carries for 3,708 yards and scored 40 rushing touchdowns during his high school career.

At the University of Michigan, James was a four-year letterman, played in 46 career games, started 13 games at cornerback and two games at wide receiver. He was enrolled in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology.

From there, he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, a professional Canadian football team and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL until chronic back pain sustained through injuries ended his career.

But when one door closes, another opens and that's when opportunity knocked. James' passion for giving back to his community led him back to his roots in his hometown of Madison Heights. It was there that he became the Assistant Athletic Director, took over the football and track programs one year later, and supported kids through guidance and counseling.

But James' humanitarian efforts continued.

Created in 2020, Cleats for Athletes took on the mission to offer new cleats to kids and schools in need throughout Metro Detroit. Founder James Rogers, former NFL player, Michigan Wolverines player, and high school coach, sought to change the youth football landscape one cleat at a time: https://www.cleatsforathlete.com/
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Since its inception, Cleats for Athletes has evolved to provide more than just cleats to athletes in the community. Along with cleats, we donate gym equipment and other athletic assets that might benefit athletes moving forward in their careers. Safe equipment and healthy fundamentals are pivotal to long-term athlete success.

James' charisma and impressive experience coupled with his giving spirit makes him the perfect person to lead our Shorian football program. But James' humility has him sharing stories about his own life heroes which included Michigan Wolverines cornerback Charles Woodson.

He said, "I want to be more like Charles, the only defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. He is a Michigan legend."

Friday nights, stadium lights, and football are a few of our favorite things. The combination of strategy, speed, agility, and contact makes football a thrilling spectator sport and we look forward to the upcoming high school football season!

James and his wife Kori currently live in Troy and enjoy both sports and travel.