| Roderick Stephen |
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Former Demon Deacon defensive lineman Roderick Stephen enters his second season as a graduate assistant coach at Wake Forest and seventh year overall as a member of the Wake Forest Football program. He will work primarily with the offense this year after spending last season on the defensive side.
The Wake Forest defense set the tone for another successful campaign by the Deacs. Despite a 4-7 finish, the first five losses of 2004 were by a combined 30 points. Six of the teams 7 losses last year were by a touchdown or less. In his first season, Stephen assisted a defense that ranked among the best in the ACC. Wake finished third in the league in turnover margin (+7) and first in Red Zone Defense (69%).
His other duties included breaking down film on opposing offenses, compiling scouting reports, working with the offensive scout team and providing assistance in the special teams area. His game-day responsibilities included logging plays and motions in each series and charting opposing personnel.
Stephen joined the Wake Forest football staff in 2004 after spending the summer with the St. Louis Rams the previous year.
As a starter at defensive end in 2002, Stephen helped lead the Deacons to a win against Oregon in the Seattle Bowl with former defensive linemates and current NFL standouts Montique Sharpe (Kansas City Chiefs) and Calvin Pace (Arizona Cardinals). Stephen and his senior class tallied more wins (22) in their four-year tenure at Wake Forest than any other team in school history. Stephen was also a recipient of the Wake Forest Scholar-Athlete Award for academic and athletic achievement.
A native of Colonial Heights, Va., Stephen was a four-year letterman at Wake Forest. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in History and minor in Philosophy. He is now working towards a Masters degree in Liberal Studies.
