A former Fort Mill QB is a player of the decade. And he still has 1 year left to play
Rogan Wells earned career-defining recognition well before his last snap of college football.
Last week, the former Fort Mill High School and current Valdosta State quarterback was named the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Decade. Through three playing years, Wells has been a two-time finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy — the most valuable player award of NCAA Division II football — and led his team to a national championship in 2018, part of a run in which his team won 25 straight games.
He’s eighth all-time in Valdosta State history in rushing yards (1,932), fifth in rushing touchdowns (25), sixth in career completions (543), third in passing touchdowns (69) and second in total offense (9,026). Nationally, the redshirt senior is third all-time in completion percentage, 19th in completions per game and 10th in passing efficiency.
And he still has one more year of eligibility.
In a phone interview with The Herald on Saturday, Wells opened up about how he reacted to his all-decade selection, and he modestly spoke to how his love for football was enriched by his family — a group that includes his several football-playing uncles, his college quarterback brother, Rylan, and his grandfather, Doug Dickey, who was a longtime head coach at the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida.
Here’s the interview, edited for brevity.
Wells ‘had no clue’ of All-Decade award
Zietlow: So you’ve been named Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Decade, and you still have one more season to play. There’s something jarring and surprising about that. What was your initial reaction to earning that honor?
Wells: I mean, I was really shocked about the news whenever (head) coach (Gary Goff) called me. I was just so surprised because there are just so many people who’ve played in a whole decade. And the fact that they chose me is pretty crazy to think about.
I didn’t even know there was going to be an actual all-decade team or anything like that. So I had no clue. I guess I didn’t really think about it. He just called me and was like, ‘I know you’re not a dude who really thinks about awards, but you were voted the offensive player of the decade.’
Zietlow: Why would your coach say you’re not someone who focuses on awards like that?
Wells: I mean, I try to just focus on playing the game. I don’t really try to worry about stats and stuff like that. I just worry about if we win or lose. … I mean, especially when it comes to my position, it’s not me who does everything. I throw to receivers and they have to catch the ball. And I have to have time to throw, so the offensive line does their part. I can’t really say it was all me to do it.
‘I always could run’
Zietlow: Looking at your stats, it looks like you’re a runner as well as a passer, which is cool. And I’ve learned that when you played at Fort Mill, y’all had a run-heavy offense, right?
Wells: Growing up, I didn’t play quarterback, until like freshman year of high school. I always played running back, so I always could run. I did track and everything growing up.
In high school, we ran sort of like a triple-option but out of the shotgun. We threw the ball maybe 15 times a game. So running just comes natural to me. If something breaks down, I can just try to scramble and just maybe throw it downfield. And if not, I can keep it, tuck it and get as many yards as I can.
Zietlow: Triple option but out of the shotgun?
Wells: Kind of like what Georgia Southern used to do. We had a lot of zone reads and things like that.
Zietlow: Sounds a bit ahead of its time, or on the game’s cutting edge. (The role of the quarterback in Fort Mill’s offensive scheme often didn’t translate to a loaded statline. That said, Wells, who graduated from Fort Mill in 2016, still ended his career with 41 rushing touchdowns, 1,568 rushing yards, 32 passing touchdowns and 5,125 passing yards in three years under center, per stats provided by the school.)
Wells: Yeah, I mean, our coach (Ed Susi, who was at the Fort Mill helm for 11 seasons before retiring after the 2017 season) — he went to Ohio State coaching camps every year, and he would always bring back these unique plays that they had and always do his little tricks off of them too. It was a fun offense.
Rogan Wells’ football lineage
Zietlow: How much has your family impacted your interest in football?
Wells: My mom, she has four brothers and they all played football. I mean, her dad (Doug Dickey) was the coach at Tennessee and the athletic director at Tennessee too. I mean, they’ve been around sports for a while. …
The first time I was allowed to play tackle football was like at 7 years old. I just remember playing the backyard with my brother, and my dad putting us through one on one drills together.
Zietlow: What made you choose Valdosta State coming from Fort Mill?
Wells: Well, coming out of high school, I didn’t really have many offers. I probably had two offers, including Valdosta State, and I had a couple of (preferred walk-on opportunities). So I just came down here on a visit one weekend, and I mean, I really like the place. It’s a beautiful campus.
Zietlow: Did you ever consider transferring to the D1 level?
Wells: No, not really. I’m only here for one more season, and coming off of last season and losing and stuff like that, I just want to see if we could redeem ourselves. And throughout my career, I just haven’t considered transferring. I just like it too much here. …
I mean, I’d rather be at the top of D2 than go to D1 and just win four games or so.
Zietlow: What are your plans after your last year at Valdosta State?
Wells: Well, I’m starting toward my Master’s degree (in public administration) this fall, so I’d like to finish that, taking online classes. And probably just train just in the offseason just to see what would happen for my pro career.
I’m not only saying NFL, maybe the Canadian league or something. I just want to see.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 7:01 AM.
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