INDIANAPOLIS — It’s no secret Texas Tech has become a major player in the modern college football world thanks to a willing and able approach to name, image and likeness. The defensive line this past season, with multiple talented transfers, was one example of the Red Raiders’ successful spending.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had a front-row seat to Texas Tech’s dominant defensive front.
“They should’ve paid them more, I guess,” Rodriguez said on Wednesday when asked about the return on those investments. “They were as advertised and better.”
The same could be said for Rodriguez, especially considering where he was earlier in his college career.
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This week’s NFL combine has been a surreal experience in a year filled with them for Rodriguez. The Texas Tech linebacker was a unanimous All-American and won nearly every award he possibly could. He even finished fifth in Heisman voting. Rodriguez had a humble moment of perspective when someone asked him on Wednesday from the combine if he’s motivated by the fact that he wasn’t one of the Heisman finalists invited to New York for the award ceremony.
“Shoot, I was an off-ball linebacker that got first-place votes in the Heisman race. I don’t know how much you can complain about that,” said Rodriguez, who had a formal meeting with the Cowboys in Indianapolis. “I thought it was great. I wasn’t there in New York, but I thought it was amazing for everybody who did vote for me and I feel great about it.
“No extra motivation from that, but shoot, there’s no need for extra motivation, being here at the combine and getting ready for the draft and this whole process. Last season was fun, and I’m happy that I did as well as I did, but I’m looking forward to starting my NFL career.”
Rodriguez also took a moment to look back at how far he’s come during his college career. Rodriguez started his college career as a three-star quarterback recruit at Virginia. He spent one season there before the Wichita Falls native transferred back to Texas Tech. Sure, Rodriguez had NIL opportunities this season, but his time in Lubbock didn’t begin that way.
“I was just trying to make the team. I was just trying not to be cut,” Rodriguez said about his first year at Texas Tech. “I’m in there doing two workouts sometimes. I’m in there doing everything I can just to make the team. That was probably the hardest part, seeing where I was at a year ago to where I was at that point.”
Now, Rodriguez is a potential Day 2 selection in the NFL draft.
“I think just doing the work and seeing it pay off is the most gratifying part,” he said. “Everybody puts in the work, everybody works hard, but having the opportunity for that work to come to fruition.”
That means something to him.
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