MIAMI GARDENS ― Growing up in Hastings, a Minnesota suburb about 30 miles from Minneapolis, Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had a dream.
Jacob hoped to one day play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
"Big Vikings fan growing up," Rodriguez told the Post heading into a Week 4 game at Minnesota. "The hometown team. Adrian Peterson. Chad Greenway. Jared Allen. Percy Harvin. Sidney Rice. Christian Ponder. Brett Favre."
Rodriguez, an emerging star linebacker as a Dolphins rookie, will now attempt to tackle Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray. And he'll be doing it with as many as 40 family and friends in the stands.
Kickoff between the Dolphins (0-3) and Vikings (3-0) is scheduled for 4:05 p.m Eastern (Fox).
Many members of Rodriguez's big
family have commissioned a bus to take them to the game.
"That's going to be neat," Joe Rodriguez, Jacob's father said this week.
Jacob wishes his mother's father and mother ― Don and Mary Kay ― could be at U.S. Bank Stadium. But Don passed away in April of 2025 and Mary Kay passed away in June of this year.
"My grandpa, that was like his dream to see me in the NFL," Jacob said. "He was a huge Vikings fan."
Miami Dolphins' Jacob Rodriguez grew up Vikings fan
Jacob and Don would watch Vikings game together. Jacob had a Vikings jersey, like both of his grandparents.
"Don was a big-time family man," said Joe Rodriguez, a U.S. Army veteran. "They always had family reunions. It was always about family."
Jacob said he'll think of his grandpa, Don Kulla, before the game kicks off.
"I've been thinking about him this whole week," Jacob said.
Jacob Rodriguez, 24, is remarkably mature for his age.
"He is a guy that not only is, I think, holds himself accountable, but, you know, I think he holds others accountable," Dolphins linebackers coach Al Washington said. "I think he's a really good leader. And I think his work ethic allows him that right to lead."
Is it possible Jacob's trademark mustache makes him look a bit older than he is?
"It's fitting he got that mustache because he is an old soul, very, very mature, man," Washington said. "And but yeah, definitely when you see that, it's a unique character. It's defining characteristic of Jacob for sure."
In a Week 3 loss to the Chiefs, Rodriguez had three tackles for loss and a downfield interception of Patrick Mahomes, a fellow Texas Tech alum.
Rodriguez, who once played quarterback in high school and college, has incredible smarts and instincts. He intercepted Mahomes 20 yards away from where he lined up at the start of the play.
"He's a dawg, man," Dolphins safety Dante Trader said of Rodriguez. "Like, when I watched it on tape, I'm like, 'Where did he come from?'"
.@Jacob_R_10 comin' in HOT 🔥🔥🔥
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 27, 2026
📺 @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/ZzgpdmnuaX
Well, Rodriguez comes from Texas, via Minnesota. He played high school football in Texas, where he moved at the age of 10.
As a youth in hockey-crazed Minnesota, it was wrestling, a sport more affordable than hockey. With three sons, Joe Rodriguez thought there may be some added benefits, too. Discipline and..
"Wrestlers make the best tacklers," Joe Rodriguez said. "And, you know at a young age, my father in law kind of jumped on the bandwagon saying, 'Yeah, that's right. You guys are going to play football. You need to learn how to do a double leg takedown because that's the same as a tackle.' And so I think for the three and a half, four years they were wrestling, you know, at such a young age, I think that's why it just looks so natural for Jacob."
Jacob Rodriguez already making an NFL impact
Rodriguez is a natural leader. And he is a natural football player.
"He flies around," Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler says.
"Crazy athleticism, man," Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks says.
It's hard to believe he was available to the Dolphins in the second round, pick 43 overall.
Jacob's coaches and teammates have noted how early Rodriguez arrives as the team facility, sometimes at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. They've noted how serious he is about his craft. And how committed he is to helping the team.
Joe Rodriguez, Jacob's Dad, says grandpa Don shared some traits with the exciting, yet humble, rising star.
"Hard work," Joe Rodriguez said. "Not compromising. Kind of like, do it right the first time, or don't do it at all."
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Threads and Instagram and X at @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Jacob Rodriguez honors grandpa in return to Vikings country
