Rich and Raquel Rodriguez start new “Hard Edge Football” podcast
Former Arizona Football Head Coach Rich Rodriguez and cheerleader Raquel Rodriguez started a new sports podcast called Hard Edge Football, and we can’t be more excited!
Think you understand the game of college football? Well, you are going to find out you really don’t if you subscribe to a new podcast called, “Hard Edge Football“. Started by former Arizona Football head coach Rich Rodriguez and his daughter Raquel Rodriguez, there is already a few episodes produced.
Raquel, a former Arizona Cheerleader and graduate of the University of Arizona, is the producer of this new podcast, helping launch her career in sports broadcasting.
Arizona Wildcats
If you truly love football, then you are going to really enjoy listening and learning from Rich Rod. You are also going to understand why his players loved him so much, and how he got so much out of players he recruited who weren’t awarded a ton of stars, OKG’s (Our Kinda Guys). He just loves the game of football! And winning as well.
Rodriguez served as both Head Coach as well as the play caller for the Wildcats from 2012-2017. In his first season, Rodriguez’s Wildcats went 8-5 and ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation, en route to winning the New Mexico Bowl.
In his six seasons at Arizona, Rich took the Cats to five Bowl Games, winning three of them.
While it appears Rich may be done coaching for now, he has certainly saw a great run in West Virginia and Arizona, compiling a 163-119-2 record, and appearing in 11 Bowl Games, winning five of them.
While at Arizona, he did see plenty of success. So much, that two of his players, Scooby Wright II (2014) and Ka’Deem Carey (2013), were both Consensus All-American distinctions and in 2014 Rich Rod was voted the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
| Year | School | G | W | L | T | Pct | AP High | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Arizona | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | 22 | New Mexico Bowl-W |
| 2013 | Arizona | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | .615 | AdvoCare V100 Bowl-W | |
| 2014 | Arizona | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 8 | Fiesta Bowl-L |
| 2015 | Arizona | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | 16 | New Mexico Bowl-W |
| 2016 | Arizona | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | ||
| 2017 | Arizona | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | .538 | 23 | Foster Farms Bowl-L |
| 16 Yrs | Overall | 201 | 118 | 83 | 0 | .587 | 5-6 | |
| 6 Yrs | Arizona | 78 | 43 | 35 | 0 | .551 | 3-2 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 10/2/2020.
Rodriguez has successfully gotten some of his Wildcats in a position to play in the NFL, some of which are still current players, while many others who have bounced around or recently have been released, or still waiting to get their chance such as Gerhard de beer who last played on the Colts, and Khalil Tate who is training and waiting for his chance.
Here are a list of Arizona Wildcats currently on an NFL Rosters from the Rich Rod Era.
- Dane Cruikshank, CB, Titans
- Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB, 49ers
- Will Parks, S, Eagles
- J.J. Taylor, RB, Patriots
- Jace Whittaker, CB, Cardinals *Practice Squad
Rodriguez still has some of his recruited players playing college football, such as Colin Schooler at Texas Tech, and Scottie Young Jr. and Tony Fields II at Rich Rod’s former school, West Virginia.
Perhaps Rich had something to do with where these two landed, and hopefully these players get a better chance to play in the NFL by transferring. Would love to get Rich’s thoughts on that!
Tyler Siskey, Ole Miss’s Athletic Director, joined “The Rods” (Rich Rod and Raquel Rod) on their first episode named “The Beginning.” Rich asked his former boss which player Siskey thought that would make a splash this season. They also talked about how important training is, and what their thoughts were on recruiting. In addition, Rich and Tyler tell us which teams we should bet on in college football games this upcoming weekend.
The first episode is available on Apple iTunes, and Rich tests his daughter on what the benefits of the offense and the defense are going into a game, as well as gives his thoughts on the Pac-12’s decision to play and his concerns.
Additionally, he also discusses the huge win his friend and Head Coach Mike Leach’s Mississippi State Bulldogs (and the “Air Raid”) delivered to the decimated LSU Tigers who won the NCAA Championship last season.
Excited to launch my @HardEdgeFB Podcast. Gonna talk all things football with @raquelrod_23 and a special guest each week. Find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify through the link below. https://t.co/eIOl20i0tF
— Rich Rodriguez (@RealCoachRod) October 2, 2020
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The best part of the podcast may just be Rich’s Rant. The rant he went on was familiar if you paid attention to Rodriguez while he was head coach in Tucson; YOU HAVE TO RECRUIT PLAYERS WHO LOVE THE GAME OF FOOTBALL. Rich Rod gives some great insight into finding these types of players, “If you see the guy who wants to get extra reps, that’s the guy you want to have.” Next episodes will include Rodriguez’s ideas to help the NCAA and insights into narratives that ruin careers. Subscribe soon so you don’t miss a minute of these podcasts from “The Rods.”