Mizzou’s Nicholas Rodriguez honors Argentine parents’ sacrifices

When Nicholas Rodriguez puts his Mizzou jersey on each week with his last name emblazoned on the back, it’s impossible for him not to think about his parents. 

It was 1999 when Nicolas and Maria Rodriguez moved to the United States from Argentina. They had little money and spoke little English. But the young couple had big dreams. With their first child on the way, the two left their extended family behind in Argentina to start a new life in the United States.

Almost three decades later, the two now spend every weekend in the fall among thousands of screaming SEC fans at stadiums across the country. Their youngest son has emerged as one of the nation’s toughest defenders, and they don’t want to miss any of his games. 

Each week that Rodriguez dons his No. 5 Missouri jersey, he thinks of the unlikely journey that has put him in this position.

“They sacrifice everything they can for me, and I go out there and I play for them,” Nicholas Rodriguez said. “They’re my reason. They’re my why. They sacrifice so much for me to be here. I sacrifice as much as I can for them. Just going out and playing for them is the least I can do.”

‘Immense sense of pride’

The 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker from Miami has put on a show each week for his parents and his two older sisters, who attend almost all of his games. Nicolas and Maria Rodriguez, who have run an auto mechanic shop in Miami since 2006, have used much of their disposable income to follow Nicholas Rodriguez around the SEC the last three seasons.

They have stopped taking vacations, saving any extra money they can to travel to watch Nicholas play. 

Nicholas Rodriguez, who leads the SEC in tackles, is the second-leading tackler in the nation with 100 tackles. He also has 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. His play has helped lead No. 22 Missouri to a 6-3 record heading into their game against No. 1 Georgia this weekend on the road.

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“I feel an immense sense of pride seeing my last name Rodriguez represented with so much heart, passion and determination,” Nicolas Rodriguez said of his son in Spanish. “It is a reflection of all of his effort, dedication and sacrifices that he’s made during this long journey.

“He doesn’t just play for himself. He also has our family’s surname and Mizzou with him, and he represents both with pride, perseverance and all his heart.”

Nicholas Rodriguez is inspired by his parents’ work ethic he saw throughout his entire childhood. The couple first arrived on a 241 visa for Nicolas to work as a mechanic. By 2006, he and his wife had opened their own shop where they fixed cars and motorcycles. 

Finding a home at Mizzou

They raised all three of their children in Miami, where Spanish was the first language they learned. With their entire extended family remaining in Argentina, Nicholas grew up playing sports with friends in the neighborhood. Football was his favorite. 

“He did all the sports, but he loved football,” his mother said. “It’s as though it was in his blood from the start.

“We never put pressure on him. He just loved to play.”

Nicholas started playing football at age 7 before joining his first team just two blocks from his Miami home at 9. He started his freshman year of high school on junior varsity at national power St. Thomas Aquinas. He was promoted to the varsity squad for the playoffs and played in three playoff games en route to the Florida state title. 

“We had a lot of NFL talent on that team,” Nicholas said. “For me to come in as a freshman and compete and get some playing time was challenging for me, and it really opened my eyes to the player I could be.”

Winning pedigree at St. Thomas Aquinas

He went on to win four straight FHSAA 3M State Championship titles. And his success went beyond the field. Nicholas Rodriguez was also a two-time state qualifier in wrestling, where he won a state title in 2021. 

He landed at Mizzou in 2024 when he said he fell in love with the atmosphere created by coach Eli Drinkwitz. While seeing action as a freshman, he earned himself a starting role toward the end of his sophomore season. 

“It’s ironic that over here at Missouri, we always say STP – something to prove,” Nicholas Rodriguez said. “That’s been with me my whole life. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder. I still carry that.”

With his parents still working and making sacrifices to support him and his two sisters, Nicholas Rodriguez carries that chip and his last name with pride each time he takes the field. 

“It’s a blessing to go out there and represent for all the Latinos with the last name Rodriguez and put it on for that culture,” he said. “It’s a blessing, and it’s nothing I’ll ever take for granted.”