All-American Flashback: Brittany Rogers (2006-09)
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
In honor of Alabama softball's 20th anniversary, rolltide.com will be catching up with our 20 former All-Americans in a series of feature interviews. Our ninth feature is with four-time All-American Brittany Rogers (2006-09), a speedy leadoff hitter from Dacula, Ga.
Brittany Rogers ended her four-year career at Alabama in rarified air, becoming just the third four-time All-American in program history. The hits came early and often for the speedy leadoff batter, posting a .417 career batting average thanks to 343 hits, which was second behind Kelly Kretschman (368) in the Alabama rankings when Rogers, now Brittany Mayweather graduated in 2009. Her 198 stolen bases remains the school record today and her style of play set the standard for future All-American speedsters such as Kayla Braud and Jennifer Fenton.
Mayweather was one of the program's most visible stars during her four years, allowing her to become the kind of softball superhero she had grown up idolizing in Dacula, Ga.
"Playing college softball was something that was like looking at the Olympic team," Mayweather said. "You look at them and they seem like superheroes. That's how I felt about college sports. I actually wanted to play basketball in college growing up but then in high school someone mentioned I should try pursuing softball instead. I went to a Florida State softball game with one of my coaches and ever since I watched a game, I knew I wanted to be like one of those girls. To me, the ACC and SEC stood out. Softball wasn't on TV a whole lot but I still had some exposure to it. In my mind, I painted this picture of these softball girls I wanted to be like. I wanted to be a superhero like one of those college girls."
Mayweather received national attention from numerous powerhouse programs during her recruiting process, but it was the little things, along with a few big hugs, that set Alabama apart.
"When the recruiting process started, it was a little overwhelming with all these letters started showing up at my house," Mayweather said. "My parents and I would have a really good time sitting at the dinner table and open them up together. Alabama stood out the most because they really seemed to care about me as a person. They didn't know me personally but they would send me birthday cards and little notes here-and-there. That immediately caught my eye because they were treating me like family already. I met Aly [Habetz] and Vann [Stuedeman] in Colorado at a tournament after the recruiting window opened up. I had a few other coaches outside the dugout after my games and they shook my hand, we greeted each other and it was good but Aly and Vann both gave me huge bear hugs when I met them and I was sold instantly. We stood out in front of the park entrance and talked with each other as if we had known each other for years. They knew about my family, they were asking about school, my boyfriend and my sisters. We had an instant connection.
"I met [Pat] Murphy in Canada when I played in the Canada Cup and he was coaching Team Canada. After his game, I waved at him and he ran straight over to me and grabbed me and gave me the biggest bear hug. The fact that they cared about me like a family member really stood out and I hadn't even visited Alabama yet."
In 2005, Alabama posted 63 wins, the second most in program history, and surpassed 50 wins for the first time since 2001. As a freshman in 2006, Mayweather and the Tide totaled 54 wins and ended up surpassing the 50-win mark in each of her four seasons. Since 2006, Alabama has only finished with fewer than 50 wins twice.
"It was all about the culture that Murphy and Aly created when we were there," Mayweather said. "They expected nothing but the best. Murphy would always say we were only as strong as our weakest link. That was something that we would always remind each other of. We'd get out there and lead by example. That was the coolest part about practice. There wasn't just one person that stood out. Everyone showed up early and everyone took extra BP. That was just the culture that was created. We wanted to serve each other and fight hard for each other. If that meant showing up an hour before practice to take BP or do some slapping, that's what we wanted to do. We wanted to make each other better and celebrate each other in those moments."
Alabama's previous All-American hitters had relied on their power-hitting numbers, but Mayweather laid the groundwork for future Tide standouts to succeed as speedy leadoff hitters that set the table and stole bases often. One half of the equation came naturally for Mayweather, while the other half came after a bit more tweaking.
"I think the speed just came from God's grace," Mayweather said. "I have been fast all my life. I remember my dad would challenge me to race little boys in the park growing up. He would always get a good laugh out of it when I beat them. About three years before I got to Alabama, I was introduced to slapping and that portion of the game and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the idea of being able to play such a different role for my team and being able to do a specific job. Prior to Alabama, my swing was wretched. I have some pictures from high school that I look back at and think, 'Oh my goodness why did they even give me a chance?' My stance was horrible.
"When I got to Alabama it was so exciting. Murphy tweaked my swing and my stance. He really re-emphasized it and explained what my role was. It was the coolest thing to hit a little ground ball, get on base and then get to trot around he bases with my teammates after they hit home runs. It was so fun to be introduced to that and then really learn that part of the game at Alabama and get into the mindset of a slapper. I was grateful for that role, it was really fun."
Mayweather went to the Women's College World Series three times at Alabama. Like most other players, the first trip was overwhelming but subsequent trips soon became routine.
"The first time you go, you're awestruck and nervous," Mayweather said. "You feel out of your element. In the background, you would hear Murphy and Aly tell you it was just another game, but it was hard to grasp that the first time because it's such a big stage. The second and third time we went, they were saying the same thing they did the first time about it just being another game and another team. Somehow, the second or third time it just clicks and you realize they're right. Yes, there are cameras on us, but there have been cameras on us all year. How is it any different? It seems a lot more comfortable the next time around and even more so the third time."
Mayweather finished her Alabama career with 823 at-bats, which ranks third in Alabama history. However, one of her most definitive moments in Crimson and White came in the dugout or, more specifically, cheering from the top of the steps at the 2009 Women's College World Series. Trailing Arizona State 2-0 in the fourth inning of an elimination game, Murphy chose to sit his four-time All-American and pinch hit freshman Jazlyn Lunceford in her place with two outs and the bases loaded in what, with a loss, would have been Mayweather's final game at Alabama.
"It goes back to knowing your role," Mayweather said. "Being a slapper, I knew my role was to get a base hit. Every once in a while, I would get RBIs but that wasn't my job. Going into that at-bat, I knew before Murphy even called me over that something had to happen. We had to get some runs in. I trusted Murph and when he told me he was going to put Jaz in, the first thing I thought was, 'I can't wait for her to get up here'. She had been in a slight slump leading up to that game and wasn't feeling super comfortable. I was excited for her to get on the big stage and break that. There's nothing better than seeing someone else succeed if they've been working their tail off and things haven't been going their way lately.
"The second thing that ran through my mind was, 'this girl can hit bombs and she's about to put on a show.' Once she got up there, I remember talking to her right before she got up to the plate. She looked at me and I told her, 'Jaz, get up there and fight for us'. You could see it in her eyes. There was no fear."
As Lunceford battled to a 2-2 count at the plate, the ESPN cameras constantly focused on Mayweather cheering in between pitches.
"I fed off of her energy and her confidence fueled all of the cheering I did in the dugout," Mayweather said. "I wanted to fight for her emotionally in the same way she was going to fight for me at the plate."
After fouling off a 2-2 pitch, the left-handed Lunceford went opposite field on an outside pitch and launched a towering shot into the left-field stands for a go-ahead grand slam.
"I certainly didn't expect it to be a grand slam!" Mayweather said. "That was the best surprise ever. I knew that she was going to get a hit but for it to be as big as it was, there was nothing better than to see her succeed like that. I was pumped and honored to be able to witness it. You could tell it was gone when she hit it. The sound of the ball hitting the bat was so crisp, even with the background noise. As I watched it go, I asked myself 'Is this really happening?' We broke out in a big celebration and it was the best thing ever."
A video of the at-bat is available on YouTube with the title Anatomy of a Teammate. The ESPN announcers openly questioned Murphy's judgement but Mayweather's body language showed no sign of trepidation. A split-screen replay soon after the home run shows Mayweather jumping up and down at home plate as the first one ready to congratulate her teammate, save for a Patrick Murphy chest bump as Lunceford rounded third base.
In that moment, Mayweather exemplified the selflessness learned over her four-year career at Alabama as a servant leader. Now, as a fourth-grade teacher in her hometown of Dacula, Ga., she rarely misses an opportunity to pass those lessons on to future generations.
"I learned so much more than softball at Alabama," Mayweather said. "It's so cool because now I get to take the lessons that they taught and I get to use those in my classroom. Every day, a lesson I learned at Alabama comes out in my classroom. The one lesson that reverberates the most in my classroom and in my own life raising my two girls is serving and celebrating others. Aly and Murphy were all about that. I'll never forget when I first got there, Murphy told us, 'If you leave here only learning one thing, you have to know that life is not about you. It is about being a servant leader, leading by example and fighting for the betterment of other people. Once you realize that, you will be successful.' I'll never forget that. I carry that into my own life. In my classroom right now, I have these giant letters on the wall that say 'serve and celebrate others'. When my kids come in my classroom, I tell them the stories about Alabama softball and the lessons I learned. You have a platform no matter where you are in life to lead by example and let your light shine, not for yourself but for the service and betterment of others."
Mayweather played one summer with Team USA in 2009 and, after a fifth year at Alabama for her student teaching, she moved back to her hometown with her husband, Branden Mayweather, just down the street from the high school where they met. They have two daughters, three-year-old Layla Grae and eight-month-old Clarke.
"I'm just enjoying life being a momma," Mayweather said. "It's my favorite thing that I've ever done. It's the absolute best to be able to say I have two little girls. They're amazing. I just love cuddling with them. I teach fourth grade and I give hitting lessons here and there. I still like to share the craft that was shared with me. My sister Alexis lives in Japan so I get to talk with her every once in a while and my sister Taylor is playing softball at Georgia Southern so I get to see her play now. It's a simple life but it's a good life and I love it."
