New NFL Season Begins For Former Hoosier Rodger Saffold Without Biggest Fan — His Father

Rodger Saffold owes his football life to his father, who's been with him from the beginning. This season, though, Saffold will have to move on without his dad, who passed away this summer.

Rodger Saffold is the elder statesman of former Indiana football players in the NFL. The 32-year-old offensive lineman is getting ready to start his 11th season in he pros.

He'll start this season without his biggest fan, though. His father, Rodger Saffold II, passed away recently, and Saffold doesn't know football without him.

“I am still going to talk to him,” the Titans guard said Friday. “One of my rituals is going to be praying … still going to be talking to my father through that form. And then I am going to continue to play the way I know how to play.

“Of course, this raises a lot of motivation for me and just wanting to get out and do what I can for myself and for my family. Motivation is not going to be a problem for me this year. I think just taking all of that and putting it in the right direction and being productive for this team is what’s going to be best for me, the team and my family.”

Chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Saffold started 127 of 130 games over nine seasons with the that franchise. He signed with Tennessee prior to the 2019 season and started all 16 regular season games in addition to each of the Titans’ three postseason contests.

Every step of the way, Saffold’s father was there.

“He was a huge support system for me,” Saffold said. “Talked to him before every single game and after every single game. Even in high school when I would come off from a drive, he would give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Thankfully it was always a thumbs up.”

• Here's the full version of the Saffold story, written by Mike Hogan of AllTitans.com, the Sports Illustrated site that covers the Titans. CLICK HERE