Four years ago, when he was forced into the starting lineup, Rookard didn’t know what to think.
He’s been making plays for four seasons as Troy has gone from 4-8 in his freshman year to 10-3 as a sophomore and 11-2 as a junior. This week Troy (9-2, 7-0) plays at Appalachian State (8-2, 6-1) for a right to host the inaugural Sun Belt Conference championship game.
“I feel like we’ve come a long way from my freshman year – a long way,” Rookard said.
The defense, certainly, but the safety has, too. He intercepted two passes and forced a fumble in the first half of last week’s shaky 12-7 win over Texas State.