SAGINAW, MI – Charles Rogers, known in the sports world for his meteoric rise and dramatic fall, has died at age 38.

Rogers had cancer and liver disease, according to friends.

Social media was abuzz Monday morning as word spread of the death of the Saginaw High School and Michigan State University football legend, who fell from grace after becoming the No. 2 overall pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2003 NFL Draft.

The Detroit Free Press confirmed through Don Durrett, the former Saginaw football coach, that Rogers died in the night.

“He had cancer, whether that was related to his liver I don’t know,” former Saginaw High basketball coach and athletic director Marshall Thomas told MLive.com. “They had given him 30 days to live if he didn’t get a liver transplant."

Rogers crafted a highlight-reel legacy in high school, leading Saginaw to the 1999 football state championship, to the 2000 basketball state semifinals and capturing sprinting state titles in track.

He went on to shatter MSU receiving records, hauling in 135 receptions for 2,821 yards and 21 touchdowns in just two seasons. He was a consensus all-American and the Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver in 2002.

Devastated to learn of the passing of my spartan brother Charles Rodgers. Spoke with his mom this morning. Please pray for her and his children. Please also be respectful of their privacy at this difficult time. Rip Chuck 💔 — Chris Baker (@Toten86) November 11, 2019

The Lions signed him to a six-year, $39.5 million contract in 2003 and saw instant dividends as he caught a pair of touchdowns in his professional debut.

But Rogers never played a full season in the NFL. He suffered season-ending clavicle injuries early in 2003 and 2004.

His career would be marred by a series of missteps, including an NFL suspension for substance abuse infractions in 2005. He was released by the Lions just prior to the 2006 campaign and never played in the NFL again.

Rogers was a regular in the criminal system in the following years. He pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge in 2008, to drunk driving in 2009 and for issuing threats against his mother in 2012.