Rollins to pursue music as well as baseball. Rollins played the trumpet while growing up, and participated in various MC Hammer and Mavis Staples music videos during his adolescent years. Rollins was an Oakland Athletics fan growing up and regularly attended games at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. In 1996, Rollins graduated from Encinal High School in Alameda. His parents refused to let him continue playing football, instead directing him to focus on baseball. He finished his high school baseball career as the holder of 10 school records, including highest batting average (.484), and most stolen bases (99). For his performance, USA Today named him a member of its All-USA High School Baseball Team, and Baseball America named him the top infielder in Northern California, as well as a second-team All-American. The American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings also named Rollins to their All-America Second Team. He committed to play college baseball at Arizona State University on a scholarship, but after "effusive" praise from Phillies' Bay Area scout Bob Poole, the team drafted him in the second round of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. Professional career Minor leagues: 1996–2000 After being drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1996 draft, Rollins was assigned to the rookie-league Martinsville Phillies. He led the team in walks and stole 20 bases, but batted only .238/.351/.285. However, Rollins still earned a promotion to the low-A Piedmont Boll Weevils for the 1997 season. The youngest player on the team at age 18, he led the team in games played, at-bats, runs (94; 5th in the league), hits (151; 4th), triples (8; tied for 4th), stolen bases (46; 5th), and walks. Rollins batted .270/.330/.370 and had 560 at-bats, over 100 more than second-place Dave Francia. For his performance, he was named a co-winner of the Paul Owens Award, given to the Phillies' top minor league player. At the end of the season, Rollins played in the Florida Instructional League. Rollins was promoted to high-A Clearwater in 1998. While playing alongside future Phillies teammates Pat Burrell, Johnny Estrada, Adam Eaton, and Brandon Duckworth, Rollins batted .244/.306/.354 with 18 doubles and 23 stolen bases; once again, he was the youngest player on the team. Eaton, Burrell, and Rollins were all promoted to AA Reading together the next year, and Rollins led the team in games and at-bats, as well as hits. His 145 hits gave him