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Daniel Rodriguez has gotten plenty of press (here, here, and here) for his contributions during his service in the Army. He attended Clemson on the GI Bill, walking on to the football team in 2012. He was primarily a special teams player during his time at Clemson, but also dabbled as a punt returner.
It's a great story - war hero turned football player - but his uphill battle will continue if he's going to make the roster.
Roster Battle
As an active-duty service member, I want Rodriguez to succeed, but the football side of things make Rodriguez a longshot to make the team.
With the core of the WR group fairly set, there are a whole host of players fighting for the fifth and possibly sixth WR spot. Chris Givens has a leg up on the majority of the rest of the competition, but there are a number of other players vying for those spots. Devon Wylie (preview), Damian Williams (preview), Tyler Slavin (preview), Bradley Marquez (preview) and Isiah Ferguson (preview) are all in the hunt.
Expectations
Rodriguez has nothing to prove to any of us. He has proven his worth on the battlefield, literally, and is now trying to live is NFL dream. The only expectation that I have is that he gives the Rams the same dedication that he gave the U.S. Army.
Chances of Making Final Roster (2/10)
Unfortunately for Rodriguez, the odds are stacked against him in Earth City. He is vying for a special teams slot with more talented players stacked against him.
I love his story, but I don't see a Disney ending as a likely scenario.