Chris Rodriguez Jr. Explained

Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Current Team:Washington Commanders
Number:23
Position:Running back
Birth Date:26 September 2000
Birth Place:McDonough, Georgia, U.S.
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:224
High School:Ola (McDonough)
College:Kentucky (2018–2022)
Draftyear:2023
Draftround:6
Draftpick:193
Pastteams:
Status:Active
Highlights:
Statseason:2023
Statlabel1:Rushing yards
Statvalue1:247
Statlabel2:Rushing average
Statvalue2:4.8
Statlabel3:Rushing touchdowns
Statvalue3:2
Statlabel4:Receptions
Statvalue4:2
Statlabel5:Receiving yards
Statvalue5:12
Statlabel6:Receiving touchdowns
Pfr:RodrCh00

Christopher Rodriguez Jr. (born September 26, 2000) is an American football running back for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, finishing second in school history in career rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards before being selected by the Commanders in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Early life

Rodriguez was born on September 26, 2000, in McDonough, Georgia.[1] [2] He played center on the offensive line in middle school until he broke his arm in seventh grade; he was moved to fullback upon returning.[3] He was moved to running back while attending Ola High School, where he recorded 1,669 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior.[3] Rated a three-star running back prospect, Rodriguez committed to play college football at Kentucky over offers from Colorado State, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss among others.[4] [5]

College career

Rodriguez played in three games and rushed twice for 43 yards in his true freshman season before opting to redshirt the rest of the season.[6] As a redshirt freshman in 2019, he rushed 71 times for 533 yards and six touchdowns.[7] As a redshirt sophomore in 2020, Rodriguez was the Wildcats' leading rusher with 785 yards and 11 touchdowns.[8] As a redshirt junior in 2021, Rodriguez rushed for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns on 205 carries during the regular season.

In May 2022, Rodriguez was arrested by a campus police officer and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and careless driving.[9] He pleaded guilty in July and was fined 200 and had his driver's license revoked for six months.[10] Rodriguez was later accused of filing inaccurate time cards while working part-time at UK HealthCare and was suspended for the first four games of the 2022 season for both incidents.[11] [12] Rodriguez scored a six-yard rushing touchdown with less than two minutes left in the 2022 Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes, helping Kentucky win 20–17. A two-time team captain, he graduated with a degree in community and leadership development in May 2022 and is second in Kentucky history in career rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards.[13] [14]

College statistics

Season GPRushingReceiving
Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD
20181 2 43 21.5 0 0 0 0 0
20199 71 533 7.5 6 1 2 2.0 0
20209 119 785 6.6 11 1 12 12.0 0
202113 225 1,378 6.1 10 13 61 4.7 3
20228 175 904 5.2 6 5 41 8.2 0
Career 40 592 3,643 6.2 33 20 116 5.8 3

Professional career

Rodriguez was selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.[15] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 12, 2023.[16]

After a strong preseason, in which he averaged 7.4 yards per carry, he made the final 53-man roster as the third running-back.[17] On December 28, 2023, the Commanders placed him on injured reserve due to concussion symptoms.[18] As a rookie, he appeared in 13 games. He finished with 51 carries for 247 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[19]

Personal life

Rodriguez is nicknamed C-Rod.[20] His mother, Stephanie Thornton, died from lupus in January 2022.[21]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brugler . Dane . The Beast: 2023 NFL Draft Guide . subscription . April 10, 2022 . . 33 .
  2. Web site: Former Henry County rivals Yusuf Corker, Chris Rodriguez Jr. now teammates, key players at Kentucky. Will. Hammock. Henry Daily Herald. September 21, 2020. October 10, 2021.
  3. Web site: Kentucky football's Chris Rodriguez learned running style from playing center. Jon. Hale. The Courier-Journal. October 10, 2019. October 10, 2021.
  4. Web site: Ola High running back Chris Rodriguez commits to Kentucky. Henry Daily Herald. July 31, 2017. October 10, 2021. Darius. Goodman.
  5. Web site: Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky Wildcats, Running Back . October 1, 2022 . 247Sports . en-US.
  6. Web site: Replacing Benny Snell won't be easy, but Kentucky football has depth at running back. The Courier-Journal. July 26, 2019. October 10, 2021. Jon. Hale.
  7. Web site: Ola grad Chris Rodriguez Jr. named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Henry Daily Herald. September 11, 2021. October 10, 2021.
  8. Web site: Rodriguez looks ready to play in NFL. The Advocate-Messenger. June 11, 2021. October 10, 2021. Larry. Vaught.
  9. Web site: Hale . Jon . May 9, 2022 . Kentucky football star running back Chris Rodriguez arrested on DUI charges . April 30, 2023 . Courier Journal.
  10. Web site: Hale . Jon . July 5, 2022 . Kentucky football star Chris Rodriguez pleads guilty to DUI charge . April 30, 2023 . Courier Journal.
  11. Web site: Shelton . Hunter . September 28, 2022 . Why Kentucky Wildcats are confident Chris Rodriguez will boost offense after suspension . April 30, 2023 . Kentucky.com.
  12. Web site: Truax . Barkley . September 17, 2022 . Report: Additional details arise on the suspensions for Chris Rodriguez, Jordan Wright . May 1, 2023 . on3.com.
  13. Web site: Marcum . Jason . April 29, 2023 . Chris Rodriguez to Washington in the NFL Draft . May 28, 2023 . A Sea of Blue . SB Nation.
  14. Web site: Chris Rodriguez Jr. Selected by Washington in 6th Round of NFL Draft . ukathletics.com . April 30, 2023.
  15. Web site: Commanders.com. Hannah. Lichtenstein. Commanders draft K.J. Henry with No. 193 overall pick. April 29, 2023 . April 29, 2023.
  16. Web site: Selby . Zach . May 12, 2023 . Commanders sign KJ Henry, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Andre Jones Jr. to rookie deals . May 12, 2023 . Commanders.com.
  17. Web site: Schultz . Adam . August 30, 2023 . Commanders Rookie Rodriguez 'Nice Job' Making Roster . September 23, 2023 . Sports Illustrated . en.
  18. News: Commanders place RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. on IR. USAToday.com. Bryan. Manning. December 28, 2023. December 28, 2023.
  19. Web site: Chris Rodriguez 2023 Game Log . 2024-07-21 . Pro-Football-Reference.com . en.
  20. Web site: Story . Mark . October 16, 2023 . Racing against time, ‘C-Rod’ still has big goals for the UK football season . May 2, 2023 . Kentucky.com . Lexington Herald-Leader.
  21. Web site: Hale . Jon . April 30, 2023 . After being drafted by Commanders, Chris Rodriguez knows his mom would be proud . May 2, 2023 . Kentucky.com . Lexington Herald-Leader.