Malcolm Rodriguez Gets More Attention in Hard Knocks than any Previous 6th Round Pick
STILLWATER – On Tuesday afternoon I subscribed to HBO for the premiere of Hard Kncoks: Traing Camp with the Detroit Lions. In case you’ve been ender a rock, former Oklahoma State linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez may be the best sixth round NFL Draft pick from this season. Last weekend he was taking reps with the Lions first and second team defenses. That came after a first practice in pads where Rodriguez turned up the volume with several big hits that were a highlight of the day for Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Detoit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn,
The Lions have labeled Rodriguez as a big hitter and one of the better and smarter rookie linebackers and play and identify players they’ve seen in an early career.
HBO with their Hard Knocks series must have had a heads up because Rodriguez is featured early where coaches and players give their thoughts on training camp.
“Training camp is awesome,” Rodriguez says into the camera. Then after a camera change he adds, “Because you get to hit people.”
Rodriguez is smiling when he delivers his punch line.
The show has two of Rodriguez’ bigger hits in camp. Then he is also one of only two rookies that they show the NFL tradition of rookie hazing in haveing them perform in front of the team. First round draft pick and Michigan All-American defensive end Aiden Hutchinson sings and dances to the Michael Jackson hit “Billie Jean”.
Rodriguez comes on and does a dance, a good one, that looked like kind of cross between a Balero and a Zambra. The Zambra is performed barefoot and Rodriguez is barefoot in his performance. The players got into it and he got a team approval. He had to start by introducing himself.
“Malcolm Rodriguez from Oklahoma State,” he said. “I’m a sixth-round pick and my signing bonis was $100,000 (and then he slurs it).”
The Lions host the Atlanta Falcons on Friday at Ford Field in Detroit in a game that will be televised on the NFL Network starting at 5 p.m.