Rodney Rogers is gone at 54, his family has confirmed. It is the end of a life that inspired both on and off the court. For many, he was the “Durham Bull,” that dominant high school and Wake Forest player who made people sit up and take notice. Rogers played at Wake Forest. He was ACC Freshman of the Year, then the conference's Player of the Year and finally a First Team All-American. His No. 54 jersey still hangs in the rafters at the Demon Deacons' arena, a tribute to his lasting impact. What happened to Rodney Rogers His death quickly went viral on social media amidst tributes flowing from his teammates and fans in the basketball world. He wasn't remembered for just his scoring or his 12-year NBA career but for an unbreakable spirit. Rogers, the ninth overall draft pick in 1993, ended up playing for seven teams including the Suns, Clippers, Nets, and Nuggets. He averaged almost 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per game throughout his career, and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000 as a major contributor off of Phoenix's bench. The year 2008 marked a dramatic turn in his life, since being involved in the accident with an all-terrain vehicle in rural North Carolina. He flipped his ATV and suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. Despite everything, Rogers spirit never really faded. He used his experience to help others and formed the Rodney Rogers Foundation, which advances the cause of people living with spinal cord injuries. His wife remembered him as a light positive, motivated. His family attributed his death to "natural causes related to the spinal cord injury" he sustained in that 2008 crash. All in all, Rodney Rogers' legacy is so much more than stats or highlights; he wasn't an NBA sixth man but a beacon to resilience, turning personal tragedy into a bridge of hope for others. His memory will live on, not only in Wake Forest history but in every life he touched through his foundation and his sheer strength of character.