Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Christopher Rodriguez Jr. (born September 26, 2000) is an American 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 McDonough, 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.

Professional career
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.

After a strong preseason, in which he averaged 7.4 yards per carry, he made the final 53-man roster as the third running-back. On December 28, 2023, the Commanders placed him on injured reserve due to concussion symptoms. As a rookie, he appeared in 13 games. He finished with 51 carries for 247 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

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