Why was Rodney Rogers in a wheelchair? Inside 2008 accident that led to his death

Rodney Rogers, a former Wake Forest star who enjoyed a 12-year NBA career, spent the last 17 years of his life in a wheelchair after he was paralyzed from the shoulders down following an accident.

His paralysis, which was brought about by a 2008 all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident, defined the rest of his life and eventually included the natural causes related to his spinal cord injury that resulted in his passing at 54.

Rogers’ life drastically changed on November 28, 2008 as he rode an ATV fast in Vance County, North Carolina. According to news accounts, he lost control and toppled out of it, breaking his neck and rendering him a quadriplegic.

We grieve the passing of Rodney Rogers, 2022 Distinguished Alumni award winner and @WakeMBB legend.

Rodney inspired us on the court as ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and NBA Sixth Man of the Year. After a life-changing accident in 2008 that left him paralyzed… pic.twitter.com/U7G09VrEOx

— Wake Forest University (@WakeForest) November 22, 2025

The injury was so catastrophic that it left him in need of full-time care, a ventilator and other special medical equipment for the rest of his life. He was treated first at Duke Hospital and later transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a facility that specializes in treating catastrophic spinal injuries.

Prior to the accident, Rodney Rogers was known as a physical forward listed at 6 feet 7. As the No. 9 pick in the 1993 NBA draft, he played for seven teams and was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2000; he scored nearly 9,500 points in his career.

Rodney Rogers' life after retirement and other health complications caused by the accident

After retirement in 2005, Rodney Rogers went to work for the Durham public works department and coached youth basketball in addition to staying active in his community. Friends said he was an outdoorsman who loved riding, hunting and operating heavy equipment, making the crash in 2008 all the more tragic.

The accident left Rogers with incredible physical and emotional hurdles to overcome. His wife, Faye, was somewhat of a driving force in his recovery, encouraging him to move on and re-engage with the world after years of grief and adjustment.

With Faye’s help, Rogers began offering inspiration and support to his less fortunate peers with spinal cord injuries on a site of his own. He founded the Rodney Rogers Foundation to help raise money and awareness for people in similar situations and made countless appearances at events promoting resilience and hope.

As a quadriplegic, he needed extensive medical attention, expensive equipment and round-the-clock nursing care. Complications from prolonged spinal cord injury eventually became the natural cause of death for him on November 22, 2025.

Rodney Rogers' former coaches, teammates and loved ones honored him not just for his on-court success but his courage since the accident.