An Iola Middle School seventh-grader will put his talents to the test next weekend at the Football University National Championship in Naples, Florida.
Daegan Rodriguez will compete for a national title while suiting up as center with the MoKan FBU team, which qualified for the national tournament advancing out of the regional competition in Kentucky last weekend.
“From a lineman perspective, the players are bigger and they know what they’re doing,” Rodriguez said. “Most of the people know what they’re doing. It’s a higher level of competition. I learned a whole new playbook and switched from almost all run plays to pass plays.”
Rodriguez credited the skills he learned while at IMS to getting his foot in the door with MoKan.
He’s since developed his skills in shotgun snapping, advanced footwork and a variety of skills often untapped until competing at the high school level. At first, Rodriguez was not sure he made the team.
“This new team, it’s all shotgun, except for an ISO play, which is a run right up the middle,” Rodriguez said.
“It’s definitely different. You get to see different teams and how they play. There are more coaches and they are harder on people. They don’t put up with a lot and make sure everything is executed properly.”
Rodriguez is the son of Kristi and Danny Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said he hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps, who played semi-pro football for the Joplin Crusaders and professional ball for the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League.
Rodriguez is also a multi-sport athlete, recently completing a season with the IMS wrestling team.
It’s not uncommon for him to practice with the IMS basketball team in the morning, then have his parents drive him to Kansas City, Mo., after school for football practice.
“With all of these sports going on, Daegan still has a 4.0 GPA, too,” Kristi Rodriguez said. “I’m super proud. He always told us his big dream is the NFL, and he wants to go to college. He has his eye on the Ohio State Buckeyes. We’re trying to support him as much as we can and give him opportunities outside of those we have locally.”
