As Carlos Rogers' inability to secure interceptions reached near-comical levels last year, Joseph White noted how the cornerback with bad hands remained unfailingly good with the media.

White, who covers the Redskins for the Associated Press, never saw Rogers duck the press corps, even when the questions, again, dealt with his drops.

At the end of the season, the beat writers recognized Rogers with the "Good Guy Award," given to the player who is most professional and courteous with the media.

"Generally, it's given to the guy who is always willing to stand up and talk," White said. "Good week. Bad week. Whatever is going on. ... It's the guy who doesn't mind taking the hit when things aren't going well because some guys only talk when things are going well. Carlos was head and shoulders above everyone last year."

A year later, it appears Rogers might be recognized for his work on the field following his first season in San Francisco.

After signing a one-year deal with the 49ers in August, Rogers already has a career-high three picks - five fewer than he had in his six seasons with the Redskins and the most since he had four interceptions as a sophomore at Auburn in 2002.

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Rogers, always known for his excellent coverage skills, has raised his game to a Pro Bowl level thanks to his suddenly sticky hands. Rogers returns to Washington for today's game tied for third in the NFC in interceptions and tied for eighth in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks have a woeful 58.4 rating when throwing in his direction after posting a 90.8 rating against him from 2008-10, according to Pro Football Focus.

In addition, Rogers' new team has a 6-1 record, matching the numbers of wins he had last year in Washington, a franchise he was eager to leave.

Paul Sakuma/AP

Rogers' circumstances have clearly improved, but his personable nature has remained constant. For that, he credits his parents, Linda and David Rogers, who raised him and his younger brother, Antrone, in Augusta, Ga.

David was a chemical engineer, and Linda stopped working to raise their sons when Carlos was midway through elementary school. Rogers said he and his brother were brought up with plenty of discipline - his mom wouldn't hesitate to "tear our butt up," he said - but they didn't lack for love.

"They taught me and my brother how to behave," Rogers said. "It was always, 'Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am.' And I always keep a smile on my face. That's something they taught me. ... No matter how much success I have, or how bad things are, I keep that smile on my face. I keep laughing. I keep joking. I don't let too many people get to me or get under my skin."

That trait came in handy in Washington, where Rogers grew disenchanted with what he perceived to be lack of leadership during Jim Zorn's 2008-09 tenure as the head coach. On the field, Rogers tied for NFL-high honors in a dubious category during the latter stages of his career in Washington. During a 22-game stretch beginning with the start of the 2009 season, Rogers dropped 10 "pickable passes," according to Stats LLC.

Still, the smile remained. Asked about his former teammate this week, Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall termed Rogers "funny" and "entertaining."

Said defensive tackle Kedric Golston, "Los was always a good guy to me. He's having a great year, and I'm sure he'll be fired up and silly as he always is."

Rogers' not-so-serious side was on display this season when he revealed that he spent part of his time readying for a game against the Buccaneers by studying various dance moves on YouTube. That pregame preparation came in handy when he returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown and busted out "the Dougie" in the end zone.

It was a shimmying-and-shaking celebration befitting an NFL star, but Rogers carries himself, in many ways, like an anonymous rookie, addressing defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as "sir" while also treating those lowest on the totem pole with similar respect.

Early in the season, Rogers approached head coach Jim Harbaugh and suggested the team begin naming a practice-squad player of the week as a way to acknowledge the efforts of the eight players who aren't on the active roster. Harbaugh agreed and implemented the weekly award.

It was a unique gesture from an athlete who has never run in scrub circles. Rogers was a first-team All-American at Auburn and won the Thorpe Award given to the nation's top defensive back.

"The idea came from Carlos, and that's pretty cool," said practice-squad receiver Joe Hastings, an undrafted rookie from Washburn University. "It shows that they appreciate what we do. And it means a lot because our job every day is to help those guys get better. So it was a little something to give back, and it shows what kind of a great person Carlos is."

It didn't take long for Rogers to reveal a bit of his personality after he signed with San Francisco this summer. After his first meeting with the San Francisco press corps, Rogers shook each reporter's hand, a gesture that has yet to be duplicated.

The exchange was the first sign, to the media, that Rogers would be a welcome addition.

And three months later, the guy who never ducks an interview has shown he's equally reliable on the field.

A good guy with good hands?

Yes, sir, Carlos Rogers is still smiling.

NFL today 49ers at Redskins, 10 a.m. Channel: 2 Channel: 40 Broncos at Raiders, 1 p.m. Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46 Ravens at Steelers, 5:15 p.m. Channel: 11 Channel: 3 Channel: 8