Why LB Malcolm Rodriguez Is a 'Joy to Coach'
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez has benefitted from his high school wrestling experience.
"I've been in a lot of positions in wrestling, so it's just kind of natural for me to use my instincts and kind of slip through things. I kind of see and weave through the smoke, and like I said, I pull my trigger," Rodriguez told reporters at rookie minicamp. "If I'm able to beat a lineman underneath, I do it because I can go all the way."
Now a member of the Detroit Lions, the young rookie has immediately caught the attention of the coaching staff.
"There's things I can do with Malcolm that you might have to scale back on a third-year player, to be honest. He has this serious, kind of humorous personality to him, to where it's like no-nonsense, but at the same time, you can joke around with him," Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard told reporters at organized team activities. "He's a man's man, and I think the trajectory on his career, it's arrows up on him."
The ability to quarterback a defense at the NFL level takes leadership, communication and an ability to be a reliable three-down linebacker --- all traits Rodriguez has the potential to achieve at some point in his career.
"I tell (the other linebackers), if you show me you have the communication skills and the mental capacity to handle it, you're going to wear the green dot," Sheppard said. "And, he is definitely a green dot type of linebacker, a guy that has the capabilities to take control of the defense."
This week's podcast features an interview with Detroit's 2022 sixth-round draft pick.
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