Malcolm Rodriguez Excited to 'Get Out There and Thump Some Heads'
Though he’s been in Detroit for just a short time, Malcolm Rodriguez is fully aware of the importance placed on winning in the city.
Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the linebacker is already getting a grasp of the culture and need for winning among the city’s four sports teams.
Rodriguez joined "Big D Energy" on The Woodward Sports Network to talk all things Detroit sports with Neal Ruhl and Darren McCarty.
“Coaching staff, everyone preaches it about the winning culture,” Rodriguez said. “We definitely have that in this staff, and the guys. We’re all in, and we believe. Everyone’s excited to get going and get out there and thump some heads.”
The Lions are in a similar spot to the other three franchises in town. The Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers are all trying to turn the corner in their respective sports, though none have recently had sustained success.
“Everyone’s positive, everyone’s looking at the upside,” Rodriguez said. “It’s one of those things where, you just gotta go out there and be confident and positive in our gameplan. I think we have that chemistry on the staff and the team to go do that.”
As a sixth-rounder, Rodriguez understands that he’s entering training camp competing for a spot. He’s considered a lock to make the roster, but may begin the season near the bottom of the depth chart.
Despite that, he’s entering his rookie year with the understanding that every rep matters.
“The coaching staff has preached that,” Rodriguez said. “No matter if you’re first round or sixth round or undrafted, if you come in and you perform and produce, you’re gonna get a chance to start and play.”
Rodriguez was productive in college, but fell to the sixth round due to concerns about his size. At 5-foot-11, he’s smaller than the prototypical starting linebacker. Yet, he’s allowed this notion of being undersized to fuel him through the offseason and going into his first year.
“I always have that burning itch inside of me to go prove those people wrong,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve always had that, ever since I was coming out of high school. ‘Guy’s not very big, I don’t know if he can play D1.’ Now, it’s, ‘I don’t know if he’s gonna make it to the next level. He’s too small.’ So, I always have that burning desire and want to go out there and prove people wrong.”
Wrestling background
In Rodriguez, the Lions are getting a physical linebacker. Some of this physicality stems from his time as a high school wrestler. During his time at Wagoner High School, he was a state champion on the mat, in addition to capturing titles on the gridiron.
This time spent in a purely physical sport helped Rodriguez learn toughness, but also taught a balanced way of defeating opponents through attacking angles and exploiting weaknesses.
“I go out there every day, shoot, and use my leverage,” Rodriguez said. “I’m not the biggest guy, but it’s one of those things where I just use my leverage and go side-to-side and get different angles on guys. I think it plays a big role.”
The physicality, mixed with the discipline required of wrestlers, made him into a tough competitor.
“Oklahoma is a big wrestling state,” Rodriguez said. “So, growing up, mom and dad preached that it’s gonna be immensely tough out here, so they put me in wrestling ever since I was five. I just learned those characteristics. Mentally tough. Being in wrestling, cutting weight and stuff like that, being disciplined, stuff like that.”
Madden ratings
Rodriguez recently appeared on another Woodward Sports show, "Woodward Heavyweights," with hosts EZ and Spencer Raxter. During his time on that show, he discussed his hopes for his ratings in the newest edition of the famous NFL video game, Madden 23.
His ratings were revealed this week, and he received an overall rating of 65. His acceleration and speed ratings, two topics of conversation in his previous appearance, were 90 and 86, respectively.
Raxter, who serves as a producer of "Big D Energy", mentioned this to the Lions’ young linebacker.
“They pay attention to the film and go off of that,” Rodriguez said. “It’s just one of those things where you just go out there each game and show them how fast you are, show them your speed. I may not be the biggest guy, but I am going to the ball.”
At the end of the day, the rookie is filled with a surreal feeling, due to the fact that he will be represented in the famous video game.
“Honestly I never thought of it at this point,” Rodriguez said. “Now, it’s like, ‘You’re here, you’re in Madden.’ I grew up playing it, and it’s just surreal. I’m just thankful and blessed to be in that game.”
