# Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Christopher Rodriguez Jr. (born September 26, 2000) is an American professional football running back for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, finishing second in school history in career rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards before being selected by the Commanders in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

## Early life

Rodriguez was born on September 26, 2000, in Riverdale, Georgia. He played center on the offensive line in middle school until he broke his arm in seventh grade; he was moved to fullback upon returning. He was moved to running back while attending Ola High School, where he recorded 1,669 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior. Rated a three-star running back prospect, Rodriguez committed to play college football at Kentucky over offers from Colorado State, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss among others.

## College career

Rodriguez played in three games and rushed twice for 43 yards in his true freshman season before opting to redshirt the rest of the season. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, he rushed 71 times for 533 yards and six touchdowns. As a redshirt sophomore in 2020, Rodriguez was the Wildcats' leading rusher with 785 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2021, Rodriguez rushed for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns on 205 carries during the regular season.
In May 2022, Rodriguez was arrested by a campus police officer and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and careless driving. He pleaded guilty in July and was fined US$200 and had his driver's license revoked for six months. Rodriguez was later accused of filing inaccurate time cards while working part-time at UK HealthCare and was suspended for the first four games of the 2022 season for both incidents. Rodriguez scored a six-yard rushing touchdown with less than two minutes left in the 2022 Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes, helping Kentucky win 20–17. A two-time team captain, he graduated with a degree in community and leadership development in May 2022 and is second in Kentucky history in career rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards.
College statistics :
| Season | GP | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Receiving | Receiving | Receiving | Receiving |
| Season | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 | 71 | 533 | 7.5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 9 | 119 | 785 | 6.6 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 225 | 1,378 | 6.1 | 10 | 13 | 61 | 4.7 | 3 |
| 2022 | 8 | 175 | 904 | 5.2 | 6 | 5 | 41 | 8.2 | 0 |
| Career | 40 | 592 | 3,643 | 6.2 | 33 | 20 | 116 | 5.8 | 3 |

## Professional career

Pre-draft measurables :
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
| 5 ft 11+5⁄8 in (1.82 m) | 217 lb (98 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 8+5⁄8 in (0.22 m) | 4.52 s | 1.58 s | 2.59 s | 4.31 s | 33.0 in (0.84 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 19 reps |
Rodriguez was selected by the Washington Commanders in the sixth round (193rd overall) of the 2023 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 12, 2023. On December 28, 2023, the Commanders placed him on injured reserve due to concussion symptoms. He appeared in 13 games as a rookie, finishing with 51 carries for 247 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Rodriguez was waived by the team on August 27, 2024, and joined their practice squad the following day. He was elevated for the Week 9 game against the New York Giants, recording 11 rushes for 53 yards. Rodriguez was promoted to the active roster on November 9, 2024. He was waived on November 23 and re-signed on November 26. A week later, Rodriguez ran 13 times for a career-high 94 yards and a touchdown in a game against the Tennessee Titans. In the Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, he recorded his third rushing touchdown in the season.
An exclusive rights free agent for 2025, the Commanders tendered Rodriguez on March 7, 2025.

## Personal life

Rodriguez is nicknamed C-Rod. His mother, Stephanie Thornton, died from lupus in January 2022.