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Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) works out during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp Friday, May 8, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.<\/p>\n
Marta Lavandier\/AP<\/p>\n
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) works out during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp Friday, May 8, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.<\/p>\n
Marta Lavandier\/AP<\/p>\n
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez was humbled by seeing reminders of Thomas all over.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot, especially seeing him around the facility, on the walls everywhere,\u201d said Rodriguez, wearing a No. 10 Dolphins jersey. \u201cIt’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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Rodriguez began following the blueprint in college.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cJacob is a guy we\u2019ve coveted for a long time,\u201d 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 \u2014 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\u2019s what this guy is.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s let me reach out to him for any questions I have,\u201d Rodriguez said when he was drafted. \u201cIt\u2019s a really cool experience to be in this position, to have guys who were in your same spot.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It feels great to be believed in coming right in,” Rodriguez said, adding: \u201cBeing 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.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777885930_830_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
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