wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member Topic Starter
13 years ago

Andrew Rodriguez is such an amateur. Doesn't he realize that, having completed a stellar career as a college linebacker, he's supposed to be preoccupied with his pro prospects? While other top collegians were decked out in their finery at the NFL draft last week, deciding whether to spend their future signing bonuses on something speedy or something sparkly, Rodriguez, one of the anchors of Army's defense last season, was in his fatigues at West Point, accepting an award from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski for "teaching character through sport." Apparently some guys would rather have character than a fully loaded Escalade. Go figure.

After 15 months of painstaking rehab from a career-threatening back injury he suffered while lifting weights, Rodriguez, 6'3" and 217 pounds, returned to lead the Army D by both example and performance. Two operations had forced him to miss the entire 2010 season and spring practice in 2011, but he remained a fixture on the sidelines, sharing his expertise with the rest of the defensive unit and contributing in other ways large and small.

Rodriguez's teammates were so inspired by his perseverance that they elected him co-captain last spring, before it was certain that he'd even be on the field. "I wanted to come back and play for the joy and the challenge of competing alongside my teammates," says Rodriguez, who had 59 tackles (fifth most for the Black Knights) and a team-high three takeaways. "Obviously not many of us go on to the NFL. We play because we love football." Spoken like a true amateur, but Rodriguez is more than that. He's the top amateur-the winner of the 2011 Sullivan Award, given by the AAU to the amateur athlete who best exhibits character, leadership and sportsmanship.

Previous award winners include Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Peyton Manning, Michelle Kwan and Tim Tebow, so Rodriguez is in distinguished company. But let's be honest: He's completely out of step with his times. Nobody thinks like an amateur anymore, right? Instead of serving his country as a military officer, Rodriguez ought to be griping about not being paid to represent the U.S. in the Olympics, as Heat star Dwyane Wade did recently. He later backed off that stance, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban then took it up, saying that allowing top players to participate in the Games for free is "the biggest mistake the NBA makes." Rodriguez should send a letter of sympathy to the poor, exploited millionaires who will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to the London Games at about the same time that he's completing infantry officer training and bunking in the barracks at Fort Benning, Ga.

That's where Rodriguez is headed after graduation. That's right, graduation. Apparently he didn't get the memo that college is supposed to be just a speed bump on the way to a rookie contract-as it was for the record 19 nonseniors who were first-round NFL picks-or he didn't notice that Kentucky coach John Calipari's top freshmen headed for the NBA faster than you can say one-and-done. Not only will Rodriguez complete all four years at West Point, but his 4.12 GPA also ranks third in his class of 1,052 cadets, which earned him the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.

"Right now I'm taking a military history course, an engineering course called Dynamic Modeling and Controls, another one called Energy Conversion Systems, a military leadership course, one called Mechanical Power Plants, and a couple more," says Rodriguez, whose father, David, is a four-star general and sister Amy is a captain who recently returned from a tour in Iraq. "It's a normal load." No, a normal load for a college athlete would be Choosing an Agent 101, Advanced Principles of Evading NCAA Investigations, and Introduction to Investing Under-the-Table Payments.

Maybe Rodriguez doesn't grasp that amateur athletes are passe because he's been treated like an amateur. Hawaii football coach Norm Chow and Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan are busy blocking players from transferring, as if they were property, not athletes. At Florida International, junior forward Dominique Ferguson wanted to transfer to a smaller school closer to home, but the university wouldn't release him from his scholarship, so Ferguson ended up entering the NBA draft. Army coaches, however, didn't treat Rodriguez like chattel: They were extremely protective of his health, working him back into full-contact drills slowly after his recovery from surgery. "If anything," Rodriguez says, "they were more careful than I would have been."

If Rodriguez isn't careful, he's going to give people the idea that there's still a place for athletes whose main goal isn't a multiyear contract or a sneaker endorsement. "I had to decide whether I wanted to go to a school that was more on the NFL track or enjoy this different range of opportunities, including giving something back to my country," he says. "I feel I made the right choice."

Give Rodriguez credit for making a wise decision. Just don't say he handled it like a pro.



UserPostedImage
Wade
  • Wade
  • Veteran Member
13 years ago
An impressive guy.

I expect Foster and other service people might have strong opinions pro and con about "ring-knockers". (I don't remember my dad being a fan of many officers.)

But one thing you can say about the academies -- they provide a better education than almost any other undergraduate program. And they don't water down the "moral education" component by wishy-washy relativism and political correctness and careerism the way almost all others do.

And I'd take the best of their graduates -- of which this gentleman seems one -- against the best graduates of any other college or university.

IMO.


And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Fan Shout
dfosterf (25-Jul) : It's my one day deal complaint dept. on shareholder meeting day
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Probably a homer access credential intimidation kinda thing
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Meathead "journalists" skip this, concentrating on operational revenue when convenient. They switch when net revenue is more favorable.
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Resulting in an actual drop of net revenue of 12.5%. She is from Minnesota. Just sayin'
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Any plans to hold Maureen Smith (CFO) accountable for a 95% drop in investment revenue?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : In your face, HBO!
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @ByRyanWood Mark Murphy: “A great source of pride of mine is that we were never on Hard Knocks.”
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : *years
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @mattschneidman Mark Murphy says he anticipates “many Packers games” being played in Germany, Ireland and/or the U.K. over the next 5-10 yea
dfosterf (25-Jul) : *cafeteria* I have hit my head also, so I sympathize
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Possibly hit his head leaning into the glass protecting the food in the cafateria
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Maybe a low flying drone
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Did Savion Williams run into a goalpost or something?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : also, no bueno when a guy starts getting concussions right off the bat in his career
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Concussion is worse. Banks probably vet off day via back booboo claim
Mucky Tundra (25-Jul) : @AndyHermanNFL Jordy Nelson out at camp today. No word if he’s in play for one of the two open roster spots ; )
dfosterf (25-Jul) : Is that better or worse than Banks bad back?
Zero2Cool (25-Jul) : Savion concussion ... not good.
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Aaron Rodgers’s first pass of first team period was picked off
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : tbh I didn't hear of his passing
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Cosby Show. Malcom Jamal Warner I think is real name
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : I was thinking of Ozzy and Hulk
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : Who's Theo?
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : How is Theo alliteration?
Mucky Tundra (24-Jul) : Bad week for people whose names are alliterations
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hulk Hogan gone too.
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Oh, it's toe injury
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Hope it's not serious. that would stink
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Sounds like an ankle not a knee for Fields
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Ya Flaccp on Browns
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Maybe Tyrod Taylor instead
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : He's on Browns, right?
dfosterf (24-Jul) : They would probably go with Flacco is my guess if Fields out
dfosterf (24-Jul) : Fleece 'em again!
Zero2Cool (24-Jul) : Malik Willis might be someone Jets come after
packerfanoutwest (24-Jul) : Packers introduce 1923-inspired classic uniform, leather-look helmet
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Both LB Quay Walker and Rookie DB Micah Robinson have passed their physicals
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Happy to see site feels more snappy snappy
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : No sir. I did not.
dfosterf (23-Jul) : You didn't get free childcare when you were at work?
wpr (23-Jul) : These guys make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Pay for their own childcare.
dfosterf (23-Jul) : 2nd issue. Number 1 issue was no gameday childcare. 1 of 3 teams not providing it
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Suppose if locker room is main issue, we sitting pretty
wpr (23-Jul) : I thought so Mucky. In those useless player polls GB always rates high overall. Locker is a part of it.
Mucky Tundra (23-Jul) : Wasn't the locker room just updated like 6 or 7 years ago?
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : I have forum updated on different site. We'll see how this one goes before going to that
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Elgton Jenkins has a back injury, is expect to end contract dispute
wpr (23-Jul) : It's funny the PA complained about the locker room. It wasn't that long ago it was top shelf. Things change in a hurry.
wpr (23-Jul) : The site is much more better.
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : NFLPA report said Packers lockerroom needed upgrade. Whining bout where you change?
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
25-Jul / Around The NFL / Mucky Tundra

25-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

25-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / TheKanataThrilla

25-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

25-Jul / Around The NFL / beast

24-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

24-Jul / Around The NFL / beast

24-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

23-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

23-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

22-Jul / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.