National Football Foundation

C. Paul Rogers III has served on the SMU Dedman School of Law faculty since 1980 and was dean of the law school from 1988 to 1997. He also served as associate dean for academic affairs from 1982 to 1986.
 
"Paul Rogers has brought extraordinary vision and leadership to the NFF, particularly in helping us shine a light on the critical role faculty members play in the academic success of our student-athletes," said Hatchell. "His work was essential in launching the NFF Faculty Salutes, Presented by Fidelity Investments, which has allowed us to honor the academic mentors behind every NFF National Scholar-Athlete. Paul's integrity, wisdom, and unwavering support have enriched our mission, and we are proud to celebrate his contributions with an NFF Legacy Award."
 
Upon graduation from the University of Texas School of Law in 1973 he practiced law in Pennsylvania before accepting the Krulewitch Fellowship for graduate law study from Columbia Law School. He subsequently joined the faculty of Loyola University of Chicago before coming to SMU.
 
Rogers has published articles in the area of antitrust law, contracts, commercial law, regulated industries, and legal history, and has co-authored an antitrust casebook entitled ANTITRUST LAW: POLICY & PRACTICE, now in its fifth edition. Rogers has been of counsel to the Locke Lord law firm in Dallas since 1996 and has spoken widely at academic and legal conferences in the United States and abroad.
 
He has taught courses in contracts, antitrust law, business torts, and sales of goods transactions at SMU. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Foundation, the Texas Bar Foundation, and a charter member of the Dallas Bar Foundation.
 
Rogers has served as SMU's faculty athletic representative since 1987, helping to represent the University before the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference. He previously served on the NCAA's Football Oversight Committee and is former President of the Southwest Conference and a former member of the Cotton Bowl Board of Directors and the NCAA's Amateurism Cabinet. He was one of the founders of the Doak Walker National Running Back Award, which was first presented in 1990.
 
Because of his background as a faculty athletic representative, Rogers has provided key counsel to the NFF over the years, including helping launch the NFF Faculty Salutes presented by Fidelity Investments in 2011. The Salutes, an extension of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Program, recognizing 198 FARs since the program's inception while providing $990,000 in donations from Fidelity to boost the academic support services at schools of each honoree.
 
An avid baseball historian, Rogers has co-authored or edited six books and countless articles on baseball history. Since 1998, he has served as President of the Ernie Banks-Bobby Bragan DFW Chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research.