Former Husky Reggie Rogers gets 2 years in prison

Standing before the judge in his red jail scrubs, Reggie Rogers scratched his pot belly and invoked the athletic glory that took him from a decorated lineman for the University of Washington to a prized draft pick in the NFL — before alcohol derailed his once-promising career.

Facing sentencing in the latest in a string of drunken-driving arrests, Rogers, 44, told King County District Court Judge Darrell Phillipson on Thursday that leniency was due because of all he represented to the state's sports fans. Instead of prison, Rogers reasoned, a better punishment would be to allow him to remain free to counsel troubled youth.

"Stand on my back, like you did when I played college football and basketball when I carried this whole team, this whole state on my back," Rogers said. "I can do it again if I'm given the chance."

But Phillipson wasn't buying it.

"You have had far more choices and opportunities than anybody. For some reason, you feel abused by those choices," Phillipson said. "It's not the responsibility of this community to carry you and that's what has been going on."

Phillipson then sentenced Rogers to two years in prison, a sentence harsher than the 18 months sought by prosecutors.

The sentence follows the latest in a string of alcohol-fueled offenses that began when Rogers was in what should have been the pinnacle of his career. During a stellar football career from 1984-86 at the UW, he was an All-American and won the Morris Trophy for the Pac-10's top defensive lineman in the 1980s. He also played basketball at the UW for three seasons. Rogers was drafted in the first round by the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1987.

But on Oct. 20, 1988, he ran a stop sign in Pontiac, Mich., and collided with another car, killing three teenagers. He was found guilty of negligent homicide and spent a year in prison.

After the Lions dropped him, he was picked up by the Buffalo Bills, but he played in only two games.

Since then, he has been arrested for a string of DUIs, assault and other criminal traffic violations.

Most recently, Rogers pleaded guilty to two separate DUI accidents last fall, including one in which he fled the scene. He denied being drunk and claimed he was having a seizure. Rogers refused to take alcohol-breath tests after both accidents.

Neither of the victims in the Oct. 17 and Nov. 26 crashes on Interstate 5 in South King County appeared for Rogers' sentencing Thursday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Nobody was seriously hurt in either incident.

Rogers, who lives in Federal Way, cited his history, including the fatal accident, in asking for leniency.

He also complained about the pressure of being an athlete, saying that former Washington State University and NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf and other pro players have also succumbed to "self-medication" to deal with the pressure. Rogers said he should be released early because he wants to be a good father to his six children and mentor youth in the community.

"I do feel like I could be a blessing on this community. People look up to me," Rogers said.

But Phillipson criticized Rogers for living in the past and for wasting prior chances at treatment for his alcohol addiction. Rogers, the judge said, was "not the role model I want my kids to have."

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com