"You had guys that had been in construction jobs and grocery store jobs and club jobs. Some were bounce-back guys or, like me, guys who'd been overlooked. Everybody was hungry." (Aaron Rodgers)
Enter Coach Craig Rigsbee of Butte College, located 14 miles southeast of Chico, who had been scouting Rodgers since 2001. He was particularly impressed with Rodgers’ strong arm and sharp instincts; he wasn’t concerned about Rodgers’ lack of bulk. He had to do a bit of selling to convince the discouraged athlete of the benefits of playing at the community college level. He also promised that should a Division I school come calling, he would send Rodgers off with his blessing.
A recharged Rodgers started racking up records in passing, yardage, and touchdowns. In his freshman (and only) year as a Butte Roadrunner in 2002, he set single-game and season records for touchdown passes: 6 and 26, respectively. He also led the team to a record-setting 468 total offensive yards in a single game.
By season’s end, Butte had achieved a 10-1 record, No. 2 national ranking, and NorCal Conference Championship title. In the conference championship game, Rodgers passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns, helping lead Butte to a 37-20 victory over San Joaquin Delta, and was voted game MVP.
After the season, the freshman quarterback was voted the All-NorCal Conference Most Valuable Player, All-California First Team (Region I) and All-California Offensive Player of the Year (Region 1) by the California Community College Coaches Association.