Countdown to Kickoff: 23 Days (Alex Rodriguez)

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

#23

With just over three weeks to go until the biggest home opener in IU history we take a look at a former walk-on running back who has made an impact in spot duty and on special teams. He is also one of the best follows on twitter and one of the strongest players on the team. He is Alex Rodriguez.

Alex Rodriguez (Redshirt Junior)

-Height: 5’10”

-Weight: 223 lbs

-Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

-Position: Running Back

Rodriguez, an Indianapolis native, walked on to the Indiana Football program in 2014 after leading Lawrence Central H.S. to a 15-0 record while rushing for 1,303 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He redshirted his first season on campus.

The strong running back finally saw the field in 2015 when he played in seven games making two tackles on special teams and rushing for 35 yards on 12 carries including a touchdown against Duke in the Pinstripe Bowl. Rodriguez also made an impact in practice taking home Scout Team Player of the Week honors twice.

Last season Rodriguez saw his workload increase while earning a scholarship in fall camp. He appeared in 12 games where he ran the ball 10 times for 41 yards, caught a 15-yard pass and played special teams while also providing great looks in practice winning Scout Team Player of the Week four times.

The expectation for Rodriguez in 2017 is more of the same. He can be a player who can make an impact on special teams while getting some carries to take some of the load off the running backs in front of him. A-Rod’s effort in practice speaks a lot to his character and fans shouldn’t be surprised to see him set career-highs in production.