"I was a backup nobody"- Aaron Rodgers 'thankful' for his 20-year relationship with the American Century Championship
The American Century Championship is one of the premier celebrity golf tournaments out there, one that Aaron Rodgers has been part of for two decades. The New York Jets star quarterback has been in the NFL for 19 full seasons, entering his 20th this fall. Through all of that, he's been involved with the celebrity tournament.
Following the first two rounds of the American Century Championship, Rodgers reflected on his relationship and said,
"I'm thankful though. I always say they kept me when I was a backup nobody with the same intro for four years. I was drafted in the first round in 2005 and nobody cares. So I'm always going to be thankful that they keep inviting me back John Miller, Gary Quinn, Jonathan Thomas. There's nothing like this in sports," he said [0:21-0:41].
Rodgers has been a key figure in the NFL for a very long time. He was, for a long while, one of its absolute best players. As such, he's always been a big figure for the AC Championship to have involved, and they've fostered a good relationship with the former Green Bay Packers player.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Rodgers, who is now 40 years old. His days in the NFL are likely not very long, but he will presumably have a much longer career in the American Century Championship.
Adam Thielen and Charles Barkley speak out on American Century Championship
The American Century Classic is full of stars, though not any active players from the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, DP World Tour, or LIV Golf per se. Instead, they're from other sports and avenues of fame such as Travis Kelce, Aaron Rodgers, Jerry Rice, Ray Allen, and many others are there playing.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen was partnered with the current leader Mardy Fish. Talking about the partnership, Thielen, who is currently in third place, said (via ESPN):
"It makes it easy playing with a guy like this that is so consistent and good tempo, makes good shots all day. So definitely helped me with my mindset and just kind of sticking with it."
Talking about his experience, NBA legend Charles Barkley, who was T48 after the first round ended, said:
"I had a great time. It's the best I've ever probably played anywhere, probably. But I played really well. I was really confident. I played great today, and I'm really looking forward to the next couple days."
Barkley also remarked that in the past, he's worked at his golf even harder than he worked at his basketball skills. His swing was infamously poor for a long time, but he has worked to get to the point where he can do well in these tournaments, which he has.