SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Every neighborhood now is Aaron Rodgers’ Neighborhood, even here, amid the Panthers blue Bryce Young No. 9 jerseys that were packed together on the incline overlooking the Wofford College practice facility on a sun-splashed Hot Knocks kind of day.
Young and old, child and adult, male and female, they will all come for the Aaron Rodgers Experience, even at the risk — for the scant few, among the estimated 2,000 — of their cheeseheads melting.
Jared Romanosky, from Manorville, L.I., held a green No. 12 Packers jersey draped over a fence behind where Rodgers was practicing.
“I bought this for my wife for a Christmas present,” he said. “She’s a turncoat. But now she’s back to the Jets. She said she stopped rooting for the Jets ’cause they sucked so much. Now she’s back to a Jet fan. This is her favorite player.”
He was hoping to get Rodgers to sign on the white 2 of the jersey. The white 1 on the jersey already featured Rodgers’ autograph.
“I bought it this way,” Romanosky said. “I got it straight from China, so it was heavily discounted.”
Chad Cyr was also standing behind the fence, wearing a No. 12 Packers jersey.
“I’m from Iowa, but my dad’s from Milwaukee,” he said. “I think it was probably time for both sides to move on, but sad to see him go. … I brought a rookie card from his Packer days, just trying to get an autograph. It’s not gonna happen looking at how many people are out here, but figured I’d come out.”
Graham Goldberg, formerly from Plainview, L.I., drove down from Charlotte, N.C., 75 miles away.
“As a longtime fan, it’s nice to see someone like Aaron Rodgers take over the offense,” he said. “I’ve seen Mark Sanchez, Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg — so many names you can list off. But Aaron Rodgers just takes the cake, a future Canton resident soon, wearing a gold jacket, but I’m hoping he can change things around here.”
Goldberg, who is entering his senior year at Clemson, was wearing a green T-shirt that read “Rodgers” in white, and beneath it “Making New York Great Again.”
“I got this for my birthday last week,” Goldberg said.
A courageous and proud 19-year-old named Trace Snyder from Indian Land, S. C., held up a sign at the bottom of the incline that read: “A-Rod I Beat Brain Cancer 2 C U!”
“I beat it earlier this year in January, I rung the bell,” he said.
Snyder was wearing a No. 12 Packers jersey. Rodgers has always been his favorite player. “Ever since I was a kid,” Snyder said.
Jennifer Benavidez is a Packers fan from Greer, S.C. She was wearing a No. 12 Packers jersey.
“I’m not gonna follow Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, but I’m happy to see him with a team that he wants to be with,” she said.
A Packers fan from Greer, S.C.?
“Well originally I started watching Brett Favre,” she said. “So I followed Brett Favre’s jersey and then became a Packers fan from there, so I picked up Aaron Rodgers. Now I’m ready to see what Aaron Rodgers does.”
As a New York Jet, of all things.
“I’m rooting for him, not the team,” she said. “I’m still a Packers fan. I want to see him do good things though.”
Rodgers wasn’t able to do many good things in the face of the Panthers pass rush during a three-and-out two-minute drill behind a suspect offensive line still waiting for left tackle Duane Brown to suit up and right tackle Mekhi Becton to shape up.
“The pass game, there was some issues,” Rodgers said.
He added: “We gotta figure out who the first five’s gonna be. … We’ll figure it out.”
Rodgers didn’t sound particularly troubled about it, but for his sake, the Jets had better figure it out.
Panthers predator Brian Burns recalls sacking Rodgers twice in a 24-16 loss to the Packers in 2020. His message to Jets fans about what kind of quarterback they’re getting: “Savvy. Intelligent. Poised. I mean, Everybody knows A-Rod. He’s a generational talent, so they know what they got in him.”
Behind the legendary accuracy, Rodgers is a play-action magician. “He’ll put it behind his hip or something as he’s going through his reads,” Burns told The Post. “Like I say, he’s very savvy. He can really trick you if you ain’t locked all the way in.”
Young, the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was touched that Rodgers approached him before practice. Turns out it’s a mutual admiration society. Young considers Rodgers a pioneer in the art of throwing with different arm angles who paved the way for him and others.
“Be gentle with yourself,” was Rodgers’ advice for Young. “It’s a long journey. It feels like every little snap at practice it’s the end of the world if it doesn’t go right. It’s not true. You gotta hold onto your confidence and enjoying the ride, enjoying the little things every day.”
Young beamed when a media member relayed those words of wisdom to him.
“When you talk about someone like Aaron Rodgers who’s had so much success and for so long, any advice that he gives I’m definitely gonna be receptive to and listen to,” he said.
Anik Gupta had a question for Rodgers at the end of his press conference. He’s a 10-year-old football fan who interviews celebrities for his “Lil Football Fan” YouTube channel.
“What’s your favorite part of the game?” Anik asked.
Rodgers smiled and said: “Game day!”
Which happens to be the exact reason why The Aaron Rodgers Experience will be here, there and everywhere through the “Hard Knocks” summer, autumn and winter.