Massachusetts Professional Athletes

UMass in the NFL | Week of Sept. 27–Oct. 3

Isaiah Rodgers is making his presence felt in Minnesota.

The former UMass cornerback came up with an interception as the Vikings knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–16 on Sunday, Sept. 27 — a defensive play that helped seal a hard-fought win for Minnesota. For Rodgers, it's the kind of splash moment that underscores why the Vikings have trusted him in their secondary.

Rodgers arrived in Amherst as a relative unknown and left as one of the more intriguing defensive back prospects in program history. He's long had the athleticism and ball instincts that translate to the NFL level, and Sunday's pick was a reminder that those tools remain very much in play.

The rest of UMass's active NFL roster was quiet during the period. Andy Isabella (Bills, WR), Jakobie Keeney-James (Steelers, WR), Kayron Lynch-Adams (Panthers, LB), Ellis Merriweather (Packers, RB), and Elijah Wilkinson (Cardinals, G) are all active in the league, though none generated notable stat lines in the Sept. 27–Oct. 3 window.

For a program that doesn't carry the recruiting profile of a Power Four school, having six alumni on active NFL rosters — and one of them making game-changing defensive plays on a Sunday afternoon — is a legitimate point of pride. Rodgers continues to be the most visible face of UMass football at the professional level, and his Week 4 interception is the latest piece of evidence that he belongs.

A UMass alum made the biggest play of the Vikings' Week 2 win — and then celebrated it with a dance fit for a toddler.

Isaiah Rodgers, CB, Minnesota Vikings

Isaiah Rodgers earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance in Minnesota's 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The award, announced by the team Wednesday, capped what the Vikings called a career game for the former UMass cornerback.

The defining moment came in the fourth quarter with the Bears threatening to tie the game. Chicago had a short field goal opportunity after driving into Minnesota territory, but Rodgers dove on a fumble at the goal line, keeping the Bears out of the end zone and helping preserve the Vikings' lead. It was the kind of heads-up, instinctive play that special teams coaches draw up in theory but rarely see executed cleanly under pressure — Rodgers delivered when it mattered most.

The 9-3 final score underscores just how critical every possession was. In a game that low-scoring, a single miscue either way reshapes the outcome. Rodgers didn't just make a play; he made the play.

Off the field, Rodgers made headlines for a different reason. He celebrated his fumble recovery with what's being described as a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Hot Dog Dance" — a nod to his son — captured on video and quickly making the rounds on social media. The moment offered a glimpse of a player fully locked in and clearly loving the stage.

For UMass fans, Rodgers has quietly become one of the program's most compelling NFL success stories. Undrafted players who carve out meaningful roles — and earn weekly conference honors — don't come along often. Rodgers is proving he belongs, one special teams rep at a time.

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No other UMass alumni — Andy Isabella (Bills), Jakobie Keeney-James (Steelers), Kayron Lynch-Adams (Panthers), Ellis Merriweather (Packers), or Elijah Wilkinson (Cardinals) — surfaced in notable game activity during the Sept. 20–26 window. This was Rodgers' week, full stop.