By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
During the 2014 season, Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Derrik Rodriguez was everywhere within the offensive lineup.
Rodriguez was slated to be the Chargers’ starting slot receiver, but injuries moved him to running back (his starting position during the prior two seasons) and occasionally quarterback. The senior also returned kickoffs and punts as well.
For his versatility and offensive prowess, Rodriguez has been named The Herald’s 2014 All-Metro Football All-Purpose Player of the Year.
“Derrik excelled where ever we put him, regardless of (where) with a lot of confidence,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “It didn’t matter to him. Derrik was unfazed where we asked him to play, wherever he was needed. It worked out well for us.
“Derrik wanted to give our team the best chance to win.”
Rodriguez finished the season as the top rusher in District 32-6A with 1,204 yards on 154 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns. He also finished with more than 100 yards receiving and one touchdown, and he threw for nearly 300 yards and three scores under center.
The senior shifted the credit elsewhere, and he expressed the disappointment of falling short of the playoff berth. The Chargers went to the area round two years ago, but missed out on district tiebreakers for the past two seasons.
“I’m very humbled for it,” Rodriguez said of the award. “I can’t take all the credit. I had a great offensive line and great receivers always blocking. It was a team effort, but I wish we could have gone a little further.”
Cantu said the three-year varsity player was the catalyst for the Chargers’ offense, and every teammate followed his lead, especially in tense situations.
“His maturity and his experience brought a calmness to everybody,” Cantu said. “Derrik was completely confident and calm during any crisis we faced. It was just a game, and the pressure never got to him.”
Cantu won’t soon forget about two games that were the essence of watching Rodriguez play. Rodriguez led the Chargers to a 51-42 victory over Hanna, a game in which the running back finished with 202 yards rushing and three touchdowns. One week later, Brownsville Veterans was upended 67-57 by San Benito, but Rodriguez put in a career-best performance with 371 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He threw for another 77 yards.
“This was a legendary performance for a high school kid (against Hanna),” Cantu said. “Then he topped it the next week (against San Benito).”
It came down to confidence.
“When your number gets called, you have to step up and be the man,” he said. “After you have a good game, you’re itching to play the next game and it kept on growing.”
Rodriguez possesses a quality that not all players have.
“When it was fourth down, I want the ball. I let the coaches know that, and I think my teammates trusted me to get that first down when we needed it,” he said. “When it comes down to one play, I wanted to be that player. Win or lose, it’s going to be in my hands.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.