At 27 Daniel Rodriguez is a little older than the average rookie, but the former Clemson wide receiver/special teams player is far from your average rookie. While most people his age were buys deciding which frat party to go to he was busy fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2006-10. During one battle he was shot in the shoulder and hit with shrapnel in his leg and neck.
So while he may not have a ton of stats and a insane highlight reel he does have a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for Valor.
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During his time at Clemson he was primarily a special teams player, but he did make 11 catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. He played well enough to get invited to the Medal of Honor Bowl where he talked to some Rams scouts. Having not been a major contributor it was not surprising that he was not drafted, but on the Sunday after the draft he got a call from the Rams inviting him to the team's rookie mini-camp for a tryout.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Rodriguez said. “You kind of hope for an opportunity as a kid to say you got a chance to play in the NFL. For me it’s no different, coming back for more (after his time in the Army) and having the opportunity to play Division I football. I just felt, why give up there? So I just kept working.”
So he does have to do something over the weekend in order to make the 90-man roster. The good thing is the team has 88 players on the roster now and only invited one other player for a tryout. The Rams could sign him or they could keep the roster spot open for someone else.
Either way he will forever be able to say he got a chance to play in the NFL.
[StlToday]
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