PHOENIX — Arizona Cardinals outside linebackers coach Robert Rodriguez is living his dream.
His family has planted roots in the Valley. His new job with the Cardinals allows them to stay in Arizona and be a full-time dad.
“Seeing their (his sons') faces when we told them we were getting to stay, that celebration was better than any victory I've ever had on the football field,” Rodriguez said. “The Valley means so much to us as a family. We can't tell you where we're going be in the future, so the here and now means the absolute world to me. More than any year in my life, any year in my career, the thing I lead with every day is gratitude. I'm just happy to be here, wearing the colors, representing the Valley (and) my family every single day. It's a dream come true.”
Valley sports fans will recognize Coach Rob.
He was a popular assistant coach on Herm Edwards’ staff at ASU from 2020-2022. Before that, Rodriguez worked as an assistant defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings. That’s where he met his new boss, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Like others on JG’s Arizona staff, they started their NFL coaching careers at the bottom together.
“So JG and I were together my first year I showed up to Minnesota,” said Rodriguez. "I thought he (Jonathan Gannon) was a position coach when I first got there. Over time, I started to figure out he was the assistant defensive backs coach, and we were kind of on the same level. The way people addressed him (you could tell) he had established himself. We talked later about how much we were making back then, he was making even less than I was. So he's really had to climb and claw and scratch his way up. Sometimes the best servants make the best leaders and I've always respected JG.
"But the thing that meant a lot to me is that I was one of the ones that he included in his staff. But he and (defensive coordinator) Nick Rallis, and even (offensive coordinator) Drew Petzing, we were all on one of those staffs (in Minnesota). So to see them in leadership positions is really cool for me. The things I believe in, I know why they believe in those things because I was there when we went through that fire,” Rodriguez added.
Rodriguez is one of the most popular athletes to ever come out of El Paso. He was offensive player of the year in high school and defensive player of the year in college at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Before starting his coaching career, Rodriguez met his wife Holly, a soccer player from New England, at UTEP. The duo bonded over their love of sports, and now have two kids together.
Team 12’s Cameron Cox takes you through their football life and why calling the Valley home is extra special.
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