PORTSMOUTH, VA (WTKR)- The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament gives college seniors a chance to get in front of plenty of professional scouts. But what about players who were not invited to the PIT?
Churchland graduate Marvin Rodgers is back in town to give those guys a chance to get some looks as well.
Rodgers held his annual Portsmouth Combine Workout at Churchland Middle School this Thursday and Friday. This gave hopeful pros a chance to work out in front of scouts and agents, despite not participating in the PIT.
"I think a lot of guys just get overlooked," Rodgers said Friday. "One, because they just don't know, or two, the opportunity is not there for them and they don't know how to proceed with it themselves. I just want to put my little platform out and tell my buddies 'hey, we're right here.'"
The former Trucker played collegiately and professionally and now spends his time training players at all levels across the country. He's learned a lot during his decades of being involved in basketball, but says he may have learned the most from the let downs.
"I've knocked on doors and they haven't opened, and guess what? That's OK," he noted. "Maybe that opportunity wasn't for me. It was for somebody else. You can't feel bad about it. If it's something that you really love, you have to keep doing it and you have to be able to accept what comes with it."
Now he's opening those doors for others. A handful of players attended Friday's session and got plenty of looks, as scouts and agents made their way into the gym throughout the workout. Rodgers's organization says that 14 players have signed professional contracts stemming from the combine within the last three years.
Roy Jones Jr., Tim Hardaway and Primo Stars sponsor the event, allowing Rodgers and his staff to obtain more resources and get more eyes on the workouts.
To hear more from Rodgers and his assistant trainer, Cam Taylor, click on the video above.
