New beginnings for Naples-based Aubrey Rodgers football program

Former Lely head coach J.J. Everage leads the new Naples program down in Collier County this spring

NAPLES, FLORIDA- New helmets. New shoulder pads. New practice jerseys. 

It’s an entirely new everything when it comes to the startup Aubrey Rodgers High School football program, which will become the eighth public school program in Collier County. 

Leading the way for the Patriots is head coach J.J. Everage, who spent the last four seasons at one of the county’s oldest programs at Lely. Now Everage is tasked with leading Collier’s newest football program and it’s been an exciting transition from the outset. 

“The combination of excitement of starting a new football program and working with the incoming players,” Everage said. “To know that literally every week we are making history and building traditions. The eagerness the players have to learn this game reminds me as to why I started coaching straight out of high school 30 years ago. For me, there has been pure joy in teaching this game that I haven’t felt in a long time. Somewhere along the way it turned into a career for me, instead of a passion. I’m hoping that this opportunity brings back the passion that I had when first starting out.”

Many would believe there’s major differences between running an established program and a brand new one, but Everage sees the similarities of both. The Trojans went 19-22 under Everage’s watch and in his 30 some odd years of coaching, this would be the first time he’s ever started a program. 

Now the former Lely boss that has coached in the area since 2012, will face one of his toughest challenges yet. 

“There’s not much of a difference as far as coaching goes,” Everage said. “Any time I’ve taken on a new head coaching role the first thing I do is establish my way of doing things. How we practice, offensive/defensive philosophies, etc. The biggest difference is the history and traditions. Lely has such a storied football history and traditions that as a new coach coming in you must respect and honor. As where Aubrey Rogers has no history, other than the that of the man the school is named after. Traditions come from your history. Right now we have no history. So, we as a team and a community get to establish these as we move forward over the next few years or so.” 

Throw in the uniqueness of this spring for Everage and his staff as per Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rules, only incoming 8th graders are allowed to practice with the new school. The program won’t know what student-athletes will be incoming, but Everage has seen some nice surprises among the 8th grade group. 

The Patriots will play a full 10-game independent regular season schedule this fall, with the school playing against varsity teams that are similar in size and ability. Aubrey Rodgers will also have a freshman team as well that will hit the field in 2023. 

There’s many things Everage is looking forward to as spring turns the page into summer as the Patriots inch closer to moving into their new digs at the $100-million state-of-the-art building. 

“The school and athletic facilities are amazing and I can’t wait to move in,” Everage added. “I can’t wait to have our first practice July 31st. I also can’t wait until our first official game versus Somerset Academy and seeing the buzz around the stadium. And, not to rush things, but the end of the season when we look back at our inaugural season. The ultimate goal for our first season is to lay the foundation for the years ahead. We have to establish a culture and community support that will endure long after my coaching career comes to an end.”

Aubrey Rodgers 2023 schedule

Aug. 18 Gateway Charter (Kickoff classic) 7 pm

Aug. 25 Somerset Academy (Boynton Beach) 7 pm

Sept. 1 @ Miami Florida Christian 7 pm

Sept. 8 Delray American Heritage 7 pm

Sept. 15 @ Saint Stephens 7 pm

Sept. 22 Marco Island 7 pm

Sept. 29 SFA Academy 7 pm

Oct. 6 @ SWFCA (Ft. Myers) 7 pm

Oct. 13 Garcia HS 7 pm

Oct. 20 @ Fort Myers Canterbury 7 pm

Oct. 27 @ East Lee 7 pm

Nov. 3 Bye 7 pm

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.