MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — There are photos of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas all over the Dolphins' practice facility, homages of the impact the former All-Pro linebacker had during his 12 seasons in Miami.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is hoping to leave a similar legacy in Miami and follow in the footsteps of his mentor Thomas, who played for the same Texas Tech team that Rodriguez helped reach its first College Football Playoff this year.
Achieving that
goal began Friday when Rodriguez and other Dolphins newcomers took the practice field for the first time for the start of rookie camp.
Rodriguez was humbled by seeing reminders of Thomas all over.
“It means a lot, especially seeing him around the facility, on the walls everywhere,” said Rodriguez, wearing a No. 10 Dolphins jersey. “It's kind of surreal knowing that he came from where I was, and he was doing the same thing. And that's kind of where I want to be, is a Hall of Famer. It makes it really easy to see the blueprint of what he did.”
Rodriguez began following the blueprint in college.
He went from playing quarterback as a freshman at Virginia to walking on at Texas Tech in 2022, eventually becoming one of the most dominant linebackers in the country.
The former Red Raiders team captain with a distinctive mustache won nearly every notable defensive award possible this past season, including the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards as the top defensive player, and the Dick Butkus Award as the top linebacker. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He is the first FBS player in 20 years with at least five forced fumbles (he had seven), two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season.
“Jacob is a guy we’ve coveted for a long time,” Dolphins assistant general manager Kyle Smith said. GM "Jon-Eric (Sullivan) has talked about good football players and bringing good football players in here. Jacob is one of those guys — a flag bearer, captain, going to walk in Day 1 and be that type of guy. Takes the ball away, run game, pass game, three-down player. Go down the list of every single attribute that you want in an inside backer, that’s what this guy is.”
Rodriguez said he has a good relationship with Thomas, the 154th pick in 1996 who went on to make seven Pro Bowls and earn five All-Pro selections.
“He’s let me reach out to him for any questions I have,” Rodriguez said when he was drafted. “It’s a really cool experience to be in this position, to have guys who were in your same spot.”
Many believe in Rodriguez's ability to be a cornerstone piece in Miami's rebuild, perhaps creating a strong linebacker tandem with fellow rookie Kyle Louis, drafted out of Pittsburgh in the fourth round.
In addition to an organizational reboot that has included hiring a new general manager, head coach and staff, the Dolphins gutted their roster of most established players with an eye toward the future.
"It feels great to be believed in coming right in," Rodriguez said, adding: “Being in this position has been unbelievable, but we more so want to build relationships with the guys around us and be team first. This is Day 1 for us, so we've just got to keep building off today.”
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