Thriving in the Chaos

As a cornerback every play is a chase, a sprint into controlled chaos.

The position is built on pursuit, reacting to a receiver's every move and closing space that seems to disappear as quickly as it opens. A single misstep can lead to six dreaded points and a flood of blame, but that is part of the game too.

"If you give up a play, you're hated," Jahari Rogers said. "If you make a play and then give up another play, you're still hated. At this point, you have to have short term memory, but you have to have good technique too."

As the old saying goes, it's like water off a duck's back. Every play is a new opportunity, and every scheme is a chance to prove depth in the secondary.

Rogers has lived that life at a high level. After a year at Florida and four seasons at Southern Methodist, where he experienced bowl games and a playoff push, he brought his winning pedigree to Fort Collins just this season.

That kind of winning spirit is what coach Jay Norvell wants from his defense — along with depth any opponent can see on film. And with the addition of Tyson Summers as defensive coordinator, the importance of depth is clear.

"It's a big emphasis period," Summers said. "I was really fortunate a couple of years ago to be able to get into and really kind of learn Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, and their system and how they play with the DBs. And a lot of that has to do with tight coverage. That's kind of been a staple for us through the years. We've been fortunate enough, between that and being able to apply pressure and play good coverage, to be pretty good in the passing game."

And, like many things, going back to the basics can make a profound impact. Because no matter how good a scheme is, if a guy can't get there in time or block without a penalty, it's all useless.
Part of that technique overhaul has come from the new cornerbacks coach Nigel Madison, who spent time at Oregon as a defensive analyst in 2022 when the Ducks won the Holiday Bowl.

"I always say this, when I was at Oregon, I got a PhD in football," Madison said. "I had the opportunity to be under so many amazing people and learn so much. I got to take that knowledge and simplify it for these guys so they can reach their success."

And success not only comes from good technique and simplifying the game, but also from a team spirit which is unbreakable.

Because despite the addition of many new DBs to the secondary, they didn't feel new for long.
"I feel like the guys welcomed me with open arms," corner Lemondre Joe said. "I was able to adapt very soon and early. That helped me on the field too, knowing your brother's got your back."
Joe, just like Rogers, comes to Colorado State after years of experience at another program — in his case, Missouri State.

And it didn't stop the brotherhood from developing. It shows in the small moments: nicknames which stick, trading scouting tips over lunch, or handshakes in the outfield during warmups. Rogers has one with his outside man JaQues Evans — or Donut to those close to him. That connection isn't just nice to have; it's survival fuel in the unforgiving world of defensive backs.

"It just came about during practice," Rogers said. "That's just the guys. That's the brotherhood that we wanted to create. He's been on this defense before, but also, it's his last season. You want to play hard for those guys. That's a brother on and off the field, and I want to make sure he knows every time that I got his back. You want to create a game that is fun.

"I mean, we run into people for a living on defense. That's what we do. So, honestly, you want to have a fun time at practice. You want to have fun times during the game and be able to celebrate those times with the guys."

A mix of fun and focus has been a defining trait of the defensive room this fall. Between the whistles, there's no shortage of intensity — but outside of them, there's laughter, inside jokes and a constant stream of encouragement. It's a balance which keeps players loose in a position that can be unforgiving.

It's also a group where experience is currency. Veterans set the tone not just by making plays, but by showing the younger corners what it looks like to prepare, recover and respond. Which is where leaders like Joe and Rogers come in.

"They both come from a lot of playing experience," Madison said. "Lemondre has come up here and earned his stripes every single day. His physicality, his attention to detail kind of helped put him in the position right now to be successful. And then Jahari Rogers played a lot at SMU and has played on a lot of different defenses. His experience has kind of helped us mold the team on the right track. I call him my football coach on the field."

Leadership comes with lofty goals, ones which go beyond individual success because this fall marks Colorado State's final season in the Mountain West.

With a move to the Pac-12 on the horizon, the Rams have a chance to close this chapter the way they opened it: on top. For the veterans, it means embracing the moment and making every game count, knowing they only get one shot at a farewell run.

Winning, after all, isn't an individual stat line. It's a collection of plays strung together by not just execution, but belief in the guy next to you. And for a team who has built its identity on brotherhood, finishing the Mountain West era with a trophy isn't just a goal — it's a responsibility.
"If you play the sport and don't want to make it to the championship, I don't know why you're playing," Rogers said. "Hopping in the portal I wanted to go to place that was a contender. It didn't really matter what league I was in, I just wanted to win. They've won games here and it's a very big focal point around the program to end it out on a really good note. I've been to three championships in my career, and I want to make it to a fourth."

It's a mentality Madison sees spreading across the entire defense. For them, just wanting to win isn't enough. It's more than schemes or assignments. It's about creating a defense which sets the tone from the first snap and forces opponents to adjust on the fly.

Because unpredictability isn't just a tactic — it's an attitude. The corners, safeties, and linebackers feed off each other's energy, thriving in a system which rewards instinct and decisiveness. It's a brand of football where big moments come from trust, not hesitation, and where every defender is empowered to take the game into their own hands.

"We have guys that want to be aggressive," Madison said. "They want to be hard-nosed, want to take away deep balls, want to play the ball in the air and want to make plays. That's just our defense as a whole. And these guys have done such a great job of just owning that.

"And I think that was little bit different for them saying, hey, we're going to give you some ownership in this. So go, make the play, and they're excited."

That excitement fuels the style they plan to unleash this season.

And just like the basics which have become the cornerstone of their position, Joe doesn't overcomplicate the vision.

"Chaos," he said simply. "It's going to be chaotic out there. We're going to see a lot of dudes running out to the ball and it's going to be a good one."

Every snap, every chase, every collision will be another attempt to close the gap between reality and perfection — knowing they may never catch it but refusing to stop running.

Because there are just some people who thrive in the chaos. It's never easy, but they like it that way.

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