How would you expect yourself to truly deliver when needed?
On Monday, head coach Dan Quinn praised running back Chris Rodriguez at his press conference.
The fact that he was drafted 193rd overall in the 2023 NFL draft certainly shouldn't make a player overly confident in his abilities. That's the case with Rodriguez, who was drafted out of Kentucky but is always working and preparing for his opportunity.
It was fitting that Rodriguez scored the final touchdown in the Commanders' 42-19 victory over the Titans on Sunday. Rodriguez has shown he can play on special teams, but was released last week after missing the frustrating loss to the Cowboys.
No other team claimed Rodriguez, so the commanders picked him up again. With Rodriguez was needed again. And he certainly delivered when called upon on Sunday, running 13 times for 94 yards, including a 25-yard long run.
As a result, he gains the trust of others, including Quinn, in his second season.
“Yeah, we really have a lot of confidence in him and he's just somebody that through practice and through the opportunities that he gets, he really translates that into action. I thought he had good vision as a runner.”
This season, Rodriguez has run the ball 265 times and gained 150 yards (5.8 per carry). During the final touchdown when Rodriguez scored, you could clearly see the joy of some linemen, happy that Rodriguez had reached the end zone.
“There is a lot of trust between him, his teammates and the staff,” Quinn added. So when asked, he's really ready to deliver. And this whole running back room kind of emphasizes that.”
Quinn was asked if Rodriguez's dismissal and return twice this season could be awkward or lead to emotional moments with Rodriguez.
“You might think so, but in reality the opposite is true. And I can imagine that we even had to make a squad change with him since last Saturday where he wouldn't be on the 53rd. So this whole process had to happen and it came out, 'Hey man, this is where I want to be.' And if we know that he and we are in the same situation, what could have happened in some cases was actually the opposite.”
