Levi Drake Rodriguez lights up when he talks about family, faith and football.
Who are we kidding? There doesn't seem to be a second Rodriguez isn't consumed by a smile or laugh. Any topic, any time. The Vikings defensive lineman has every reason to be giddy: He made Minnesota's initial 53-man roster as a seventh-round draft pick out of tiny football program Texas A&M-Commerce.
Also, his sister Jirah welcomed her second child to the world Aug. 29. Rodriguez loves being an uncle. He was around her 16-month-old in the spring, before realizing his draft dreams and coming to Minnesota.
When we met with Rodriguez for this Water Break presented by Crown Royal, tears welled in his eyes and his cadence was slower than normal. Jirah put lunch money in his account in high school when his parents couldn't. She called separately when he confirmed his spot on the roster to congratulate him. On the bond he shares with his only sibling, Rodriguez said, "We can talk about anything under the sun."
It's not all too rare for an NFL player to have a supportive family or figure in his life. But it's always something worth highlighting, especially in the case of Rodriguez, whose sincerity shines all the time.
Q: How have your parents helped you in your football journey?
A: They're diehard fans for me. They went to almost every collegiate game that I ever played in. Every bowl game. Now, it's just how are they going to get to the next NFL game? I love them so much for the support they've given me. There are some dog days in training camp, so being able to talk to them and them being my support system, knowing I could go to them no matter how I feel. I'm still their little boy.
Q: How strong is your relationship with your sister?
A: That's my second mom, for sure. I love her so much. We've grown closer just in the past three years, so much more, and it's awesome to experience her as a mother – she has two kids; that's crazy to even say. You can't measure her love for me. It's tremendous. But yeah, man. That's my sissy. I love her.
Q: How enjoyable was spending time with your nephew during the pre-draft process?
A: That was a good time to see him grow. He started walking, so that's pretty freaking awesome. It's going to be weird once he starts talking, though. I'm not ready for that because I give him hell already. He's going to mess with me, and I'm going to mess with him. It's going to be an awesome relationship.
Q: What role did your parents play in your physical transformation?
A: Oh, man, they bought all the groceries. It was hard feeding me. That's where all the money they gave me went: food. They knew I had a dream and had a goal in mind and that was to gain weight, so they did everything possible for me to gain that weight by putting food on the table. I'm very grateful for that.
Q: So, they embraced your all-you-can-eat diet?
A: They encouraged that. 'Yeah, Levi, get whatever you want on the menu.' I would have a stack of pancakes. I would have eight eggs – minimum eight eggs on a plate – double bacon, double hash browns and some other sides. I would eat and eat.
Q: When did that transformation take off and how do you feel now?
A: Last year at the end of my college season. I weighed light after the season. I weighed about 280 pounds and then I jumped up to 300. Now I'm sitting around 305-310, so I gained about 30 pounds of solid weight. I feel great. I'm not eating as much just because I kind of found my way, I found what works for me, hydrating and whatnot. I'm glad I'm not eating that much all the time. I would be way heavier.
Q: During training camp you told me your strength is from the Lord: "I give him my eyes, my hands, my feet, my hips, everything that I use daily so that he can work through me." What made you lean into your faith?
A: I've always been in church, but 2017 is when I really found Christ. I was at a camp called Crooked Creek with Young Life. This guy just gave a sermon, and he said to go outside. I went outside. I was in Colorado, and it was cold out there. I only had shorts and a little sweater on and I said, 'Lord, make me warm.' He just made me comfortable, so that was cool. But as humans we want more, so I was like, 'God, show me a sign.' I said, 'Thank you, but show me a sign. Actually, show me a shooting star.' All of a sudden, a shooting star goes right behind the mountains. A blue-green shooting star. It was life-changing. It was at that point that I knew I had to give my life to Christ and to work for him, ultimately.
Q: Does your strong faith run in the family?
A: Yeah, without them, I wouldn't know God. Man, my dad and mom have played a huge part in that, and they've let me navigate my own relationship with Christ, as well. I'm very grateful for that.
Q: How did you share with your family that you made the initial 53-man roster?
A: I just texted them and said I made the team. There was no excitement from me at first because it was a stressful day in the building. It was stressful. I just told them, and I had to breathe after. Then I called them. I was like 'Ah, all right, it's a weight lifted off my shoulders, but there's so much more to be done.' They were ecstatic. They started texting all the family group chats and whatnot. They went crazy.
