Pre-draft Prior to the
2008 NFL draft, Rodriguez was projected to be undrafted by NFLDraftScout.com. He was rated as the 129th-best wide receiver in the draft. He was not invited to the
NFL Scouting Combine, he posted the following numbers during his Auburn pro-day workouts:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Rodriguez went undrafted in the
2008 NFL draft and attended tryout camps for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Hamilton Tiger-Cats and
New York Jets. He signed with the
New York Jets and was later released. On May 7, 2008, he signed with the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the
Canadian Football League and was expected to play a big role. He saw action in 14 games out of an 18-game season in 2008. Against the
Edmonton Eskimos on July 26,
Richie Williams threw a pass to Rodriguez for 46 yards which helped
Jesse Lumsden score a touchdown on the next play. On September 13, once again against the Eskimos, Rodriguez caught two touchdown passes from
quarterback Casey Printers including an 18-yard catch that ended a 97-yard possession. The week after the Edmonton game, the Tiger-Cats faced the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the "Hall of Fame Game" in which Rodriguez caught a touchdown. In a late season game against the first place
Montreal Alouettes, Rodriguez recorded 12 catches for a total of 198 yards with three
touchdowns. His performance helped first time
head coach Marcel Bellefeuille with his first win. In the Tiger-Cats final home game of 2008 on October 24, Rodriguez had 61 yards making him 31 yards from the 1,000 yard mark. Before the final game of the season, Rodriguez emerged as one of the CFL's most explosive offensive threats and was recognized as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats "Most Outstanding Rookie" and went on to be nominated the CFL Rookie of the Year, with
Weston Dressler of the
Saskatchewan Roughriders being his main competition. Although Dressler ended up winning, Rodriguez received the finest players CFL 2008 East Division Rookie of the Year Award,
Frank M. Gibson Trophy. Rodriguez ended the 2008 season with 70 catches, 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2009 Rodriguez was on his way to another 1000 yard season when he was slowed by a bone bruise in a knee, he caught 45 passes for 495 yards with three touchdowns over 12 games. Rodriguez was among the
CFL most dangerous wideouts during his time with the Tiger-Cats. His outstanding size and leaping ability made him a great target for quarterbacks.
Saskatchewan Roughriders On February 24, 2010, Rodriguez was traded to the
Saskatchewan Roughriders for non-import Canadian
Adam Nicolson, a third round selection in the
2011 CFL draft, and the rights to a negotiation list player. In the 2009 season the Roughriders' already had a solid talented receiving corps before Rodriguez emerged in the 2010 season. The production of import wide receivers in 2009 combined for 60 catches for 703 yards and three touchdowns. That production may have been limited because Saskatchewan's offence was built around its slotbacks. He saw action in 10 games in the 2010 season and recorded 30 receptions for 376 yards and two touchdowns. The limited production no doubt affected his game. The Roughriders decided that Rodriguez wasn't in their plans going forward and released him on September 14, 2010. See video highlights of Rodriguez' 2010 Roughriders season.
Montreal Alouettes On January 10, 2011, Rodriguez signed with the
Montreal Alouettes but was released on July 27 after appearing in one game.
Edmonton Eskimos On August 15, 2011, Rodriguez was signed by the
Edmonton Eskimos after
slotback Fred Stamps went down with an abdominal injury. On September 12, 2011, he was released by the Eskimos.
Toronto Argonauts On September 12, 2011, it was announced that Rodriguez would be joining the
practice roster of the
Toronto Argonauts. After playing in two games and only recording five receptions for 30 yards, he was released by the Argonauts on October 11, 2011.
Tampa Bay Storm On November 11, 2012, the Tampa native signed with the
Tampa Bay Storm of the
Arena Football League. Rodriguez had never played arena football until signing with the Storm, and was a breakout star for the Storm in 2012. In the first three games of his rookie season, Rodriguez recorded 34 receptions for 451 yards and nine touchdowns leading the league in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game. On March 16, 2012, the Tampa Bay Storm accomplished something that had never been done before in the history of the Arena Football League, when they won their 200th game in franchise history with a 50-47 victory over the
Georgia Force, led by Rodriguez, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game and the game's MVP. By midseason, Rodriguez had recorded 72 receptions, 967 yards, 24 TDs and was on his way to break a pair of Storm single-season receiving records through nine games and on pace to shatter the franchise record for receptions in a year, set at 125 by
Huey Whittaker and
Amarri Jackson in 2011. Throughout the 2012 season, the AFL spotlights players who not only contributed on the field, but made an effort to go above and beyond to make a difference in the community, Rodriguez was recognized for his teamwork and philanthropic efforts in the community with honors that included the Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game, AFL Play Maker of the Game, Spalding Highlight of the Game, National Guard Community MVP, and Cutters Catch of the Game. At the end of the 2012 season, Rodriguez had 32 touchdowns and tied the single-season franchise record for receptions (125) and set the single-season franchise rookie record for receiving yards (1,653).
Orlando Predators Rodriguez set the Orlando Predators single-season franchise record with 41 touchdowns. In his performance against Tampa Bay in Week 12, Rodriguez had his best game of the season, helping beat his former team for 157 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he also tied a career-high with 12 receptions in the contest. At the end of the 2013 season, Rodriguez caught 119 passes for 1,614 yards and 41 touchdowns. He was selected to play in the AFL All-Star Exhibition Games in
Honolulu, Hawaii and
Beijing, China.
Pittsburgh Power On February 6, 2014, Rodriguez was traded to the
Pittsburgh Power in exchange for
Markell Carter and
Ben Ossai. Rodriguez missed 8 games due to a high ankle sprain but nonetheless finished the regular season with 85 receptions for 1,138 yards and 32 touchdowns. The Power folded in November 2014.
Jacksonville Sharks On April 9, 2015, Rodriguez was assigned to the
Jacksonville Sharks.
Philadelphia Soul On December 11, 2015, Rodriguez was traded to the
Philadelphia Soul for future considerations. On March 25, 2016, Rodriguez was placed on reassignment.
Jacksonville Sharks On April 28, 2016, Rodriguez was assigned to the
Jacksonville Sharks. On May 20, 2016, Rodriguez was placed on reassignment.
Tampa Bay Storm On June 22, 2016, Rodriguez was assigned to the Storm. ==Statistics==