The college football community is in mourning after the tragic loss of former Iowa State and Minnesota defensive back Charles Rogers, who passed away at age 31 this weekend.
As reported by The New York Post, he collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during the Brooklyn Marathon.
Former Minnesota, Iowa State DB Charles “Ace” Rogers Passes Away At Age 31
In a post on X, Minnesota Football’s account paid homage to Rogers, affectionately known as “Ace”.
Our hearts are broken as former Gopher Charles Rogers tragically passed over the weekend while running the Brooklyn Marathon.
Our thoughts are with the Rogers family and all of his loved ones. pic.twitter.com/HZwnE28NS7
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) May 19, 2025
“Our hearts are broken as former Gopher Charles Rogers tragically passed over the weekend while running the Brooklyn Marathon,” the post read, accompanying a black-and-white photograph of Rogers in action on the field. “Our thoughts are with the Rogers family and all of his loved ones.”
According to the New York Post, Rogers was competing in the Brooklyn Half-Marathon Saturday, May 18, when he collapsed at 8:11 a.m. at the eight-mile mark of the event after suffering cardiac arrest.
EMS workers responded quickly to Ocean Parkway and 18th Avenue to perform CPR on Rogers and rush him to Maimonides Medical Center, but he passed shortly afterward.
Rogers was a native of Iowa City, Iowa, and became a defensive back for the Gophers in 2015 after transferring there from Iowa Western Community College, where he earned All-American honors after a freshman season at Iowa State in 2012. He finished his career with a season at Lindenwood in 2017.
The 31-year-old was running the race to support Team For Kids, a charity aiding young runners and community programs. Rogers had since retired from the sport and turned towards a non-sports future. His widow, Sydney Rogers, spoke about his passion for life and being “100% himself.”
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Charles Rogers.
