Around the world and back to the center: The story of the Maryland midfield maestro

Photo courtesy of Ashley Ray/Maryland Terrapins

From well outside the box, Maryland midfielder Max Rogers sized up the ball, stepping back four paces, nearly horizontal to the goal.

It was a crisp September evening, early in the season. Though the free-kick routine was second nature for the dead-ball specialist, Rogers’ surroundings were not — this being only his fifth game in a Maryland jersey after transferring from Yale in the offseason.

The match between Maryland and Brown stood tied at one. The Bears had equalized minutes earlier, but after a rough challenge on Kenny Quist-Therson, the Terps earned a prime chance to reclaim the lead late in the game.

Roger’s midfield partner, Leon Koehl, positioned himself as an alternate threat, his lethal right foot ready to test the Bears’ defense. But Rogers knew this moment was his. The angle favored his dominant left foot, and he had sharpened his skills across three continents for moments just like this.

Rogers stepped up and delivered, curling one into the net that would ultimately be the game-winner, announcing himself to the Maryland crowd as a new offensive weapon. 

Now nearing the end of the season, the star midfielder with a big personality has put together a stellar year, tallying three goals and nine assists as a graduate student. As he prepares to play a crucial role in Maryland’s NCAA tournament run, his remarkable journey to get here stands as a story of persistence and ambition.

As a boy, Rogers grew up in Chelsea, an affluent neighborhood in West London where the sport wasn’t called soccer but football — and it reigned supreme.

He fell in love with the game there, playing as soon as he could walk and becoming a devoted fan of Chelsea FC, one of England’s top Premier League teams. It wasn’t long before the culture surrounding the sport had a chokehold on him.

“My mom tells the story that my first word was literally ‘ball,’” Rogers said with a laugh. 

His earliest memories of the sport were at Clapham Common, a local park where his dad and a few others organized kickarounds for their sons. Those informal games soon turned into Rogers’ first team, the Balham Blazers, named after their neighborhood.

But when Rogers was just seven, his life changed drastically: his parents decided to return to their home country of Australia.

“I was certain from when I was 5 years old that I wanted to be a professional football player,” Rogers said. “I’m in London, playing in arguably one of the football capitals of the world—my favorite team is right there and stuff—and now we’re moving to the other side of the world, where I don’t even know if they play football…I remember being very anti-the-move.”

The relocation marked the first culture shock of Rogers’ young life. In Terrigal, a coastal town north of Sydney, he had to adapt to a new climate, culture, and a vastly different soccer landscape.

However, Rogers said his two brothers occupied him, helping take his mind off the move.

Spending long days in the backyard with them, he honed his skills, often mimicking Beckham’s free-kick routine before firing shots their way. 

“[We were] super super competitive,” Billy Rogers, Max’s brother, said. “I’d like to say [I won the most], but I’m sure Max wouldn’t necessarily agree with that.” 

As he grew older, he moved between Australian academies, starting with Northern Tigers FC, where he played until his early teens before being dropped due to attitude issues. Rogers explained these stemmed from frustrations over losing games despite his strong performances. Hearing the news was a shock, but it became a turning point that shaped him as both a player and a teammate.

“It really lit a fire under me,” Rogers said. “It’s just one of those things that to this day, like, talking about it gets me fired up just because I was super, super upset.” 

Determined to prove himself, Rogers joined three more Australian academies, eventually debuting in the A-League, Australia’s top soccer league. During offseasons, he returned to England to train with Watford and Norwich City academies, further sharpening his skills.

At 18, after proving himself in Australia, Rogers faced a defining choice: sign with the Central Coast Mariners or pursue new opportunities. With guidance from his agency, he chose a path that blended soccer and education, leading him to Fordham University.

For Rogers, it was a bold decision—choosing a school he had never visited in a country he barely knew. For Fordham’s coaches, it was just as risky, offering him a spot without meeting him in person. Associate head coach Phil Bannister was sent to greet Rogers at the airport upon his arrival.

“I had seen pictures of him and obviously had zooms and stuff, but you know, it was JFK [the airport] — it’s really busy,” Bannister said. “So the first time I saw him, we kind of walked past each other. I looked at him, I was like ‘That’s not him,’ and then he turned around and was like ‘Phil?’ and it certainly was him.” 

After settling into his room and finishing introductions, Rogers faced a much larger challenge: adjusting to life at school in a foreign country—a task that proved to be anything but easy.

“It was a crazy experience [getting to school],” Rogers said. “I remember everything about the first couple weeks I spent at Fordham. I felt like an alien.”

However, it didn’t take long for Rogers’ big personality to make an impression, quickly forging bonds with many of his teammates. Former Fordham teammate Adrian Valentine claimed that fitting in has never been a problem for Rogers.

“There’s some draw [to him] that not only I can see — people like to be around him,” Valentine said. “He’s a great person… He’s been to three different schools. I went to visit him at Yale and he had hundreds of friends, at Fordham he comes back and visits and has hundreds of friends. There’s something about him.”

As he became accustomed to the American culture, Rogers also developed a taste for foods he hadn’t encountered in England or Australia—one in particular stood out.

“[I remember] it becoming an issue how much I frequented that [store across the road] to buy some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream,” Rogers said laughing. 

While he quickly found comfort in small routines like indulging in ice cream, Rogers made an even bigger impact on the field. As he settled into life at Fordham, his freshman campaign saw him help the team to an A10 conference championship and an NCAA tournament bid. By 2021, he had stepped into a starting role, thriving with three goals and seven assists to lead the team in points.

Rogers’ standout sophomore season established him as one of the conference’s top midfielders. Driven by a desire for greater challenges both on and off the field, he made the difficult decision to transfer.

“We were just starving for a super dynamic attacking player that could unbalance teams, create chances and score like Max can score goals,” Yale head coach Kylie Stannard said. “We don’t do a lot of transfers here at Yale. I think I’ve had two in 10 years. … The stars aligned and we started that conversation, had a positive read with admissions.” 

After arriving, Rogers proved to be exactly the player Stannard had envisioned. During his two years with the Bulldogs, he tallied five goals and 10 assists, earning a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team after a standout 2023 campaign.

In 2023, Rogers led Yale to its first Ivy League Tournament victory, securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament and creating a career-defining moment.

Yale faced a daunting road challenge against No. 19 Bryant, a team boasting a dominant 16-1-2 record and a packed home crowd.

For much of the match, Yale was pinned in its own half, with Bryant controlling possession and applying relentless pressure. As time ticked down, desperation set in, and Rogers admitted it felt inevitable that Bryant would break through, whether in regulation or extra time.

But then, Rogers noticed the Bryant goalkeeper venturing far off his line to aid in distribution.

With under two minutes left, Yale forced a turnover, and the ball landed at Rogers’ feet near the midway line. Without hesitation, he unleashed a shot that soared over Bryant goalkeeper Antreas Hadjigavriel and into the net, silencing the home crowd.

“It was honestly kind of a weird celebration because I think everyone, including Max, was shocked that that had just happened,” former Yale teammate Jake Schaffer said. “Max just stood still and stuck both of his arms out and turned to the stands.” 

Rogers, who admits he relishes silencing opposing crowds even more than scoring at home, celebrated with bows and blown kisses to the stunned Bryant fans. His goal stood as the game-winner, securing Yale’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 25 years.

The historic win was a moment to savor, but for Rogers, it also marked the culmination of his journey at Yale. As the season came to a close, he was faced with another decision about his future in collegiate soccer.

This decision led him back to the transfer portal, where Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski quickly came calling

After a virtual meeting with the coaches, Rogers knew Maryland was where he wanted to close out his collegiate career. Arriving in College Park over the summer, he quickly established himself as a leader, bringing invaluable experience to a team eager to rebound after a tough previous season.

Now, with all roads leading to this moment, Rogers has become a key piece for Maryland as it prepares for its NCAA Tournament run. For the star midfielder, it’s not just about going further than ever before—it’s about cementing the journey that brought him here. From London to Australia, from Fordham to Yale, and now to Maryland, every challenge, setback, and triumph has shaped him into the player and leader he is today.

As the Terps gear up for their showdown with No. 8-seeded Wake Forest, Rogers has one thing on his mind: finishing the story on the biggest stage possible.