Chris Rodriguez Jr. was around the sixth grade when a question began to increasingly weigh on his mind.
"When I started playing football and my last name was on my jersey, it was something I wanted to ask my dad, 'Hey why is my last name Rodriguez?' He just told me, 'You've got a little Puerto Rican in you,'" Rodriguez recalled.
As a third generation American, the Washington Commanders' running back has had an evolving relationship with his Puerto Rican identity. There were times growing up when it felt far away; an element of who he was that popped into consideration from time and again. As he has gotten older, there's an increased feeling of connectedness to these roots and a desire to learn more.
The Rodriguez family moved from Puerto Rico to New York in the 1950s, a decade that saw the century's highest immigration spike from the island to the U.S. due to a mix of factors like the increased affordability of air travel and a depression in Puerto Rico. The Rodriguez family, in the words of Chris Jr.'s great uncle Albert, came for "better opportunities."
Leonora Sanchez and Vincent Rodriguez moved with their son, Vincent Jr., grandpa of Chris Rodriguez Jr. and the last of this branch of the Rodriguezes to be born in Puerto Rico.
Vincent and his siblings went on to navigate experiences typical of many children of immigrants. They spoke Spanish at home and English at school. They grew up playing football and having block parties in a South Bronx community that was predominantly Black and Hispanic.
The next Rodriguez generations became emblematic of America's "melting pot." The Spanish-speaking ability was perhaps a bit choppier, the kids married folks from other cultures. Vincent married a woman with Jamaican roots. His son Chris Sr. remembers, though multiple cultural traditions swirled around him, that Vincent was "always open to talking about" their Puerto Rican background.
"It was something he was proud of," Chris Sr. remembers.
Chris Sr. went on to move to the Atlanta metro area and started his own family. Chris Jr. was Vincent's first grandson, and the baby's middle name paid homage to him.
"Chris [Jr.] has my father's name as his middle name," Chris Sr. said. "He gets to live on the family tradition of that name."
Vincent only met Chris Jr. once before passing away from cancer. Only one photo exists of their meeting.
"I always showed Chris the picture of my dad holding him to remind him of his grandfather," Chris Sr. said. "I told him his grandfather was Puerto Rican, and I told him he had other Puerto Rican family members but they're all in New York. I said 'I'm all you got right now' but I can give you all the information and all the stories. I told him about his great grandmother and how I loved her dearly and had a great relationship with her as well."
The last name "Rodriguez" and the middle name "Vincent" are far from the only things Chris Jr. got from his grandpa. It was important for Chris Sr. to pass down values Vincent carried and lessons he learned.
"The last conversation that him and I had before he passed away was, 'Hey Chris, do the right thing. I've made all the mistakes for you. This is what you need to do.' I learned from that, and I remembered that and there were certain things that I took from that that I wanted to give to my children," Chris Sr. said. "Everything I learned about love and people, I learned from my dad. That's why Chris is the way he is today. Even when he was a student, teachers would come up to me like, 'He's such a polite child. How did you raise this child to be so polite?' and 'He's so caring' and 'He's so loving.' I got it from my father, and I just passed those things down to Chris."
Learning bits and pieces about his grandpa planted a seed for Chris Jr. that's sprung into an ever-growing curiosity around and desire to connect more closely to his Puerto Rican heritage.
"It's a journey…As I've gotten older and played more football, you start to realize how big it is and how big you can be outside of football. For instance, I think of Isaiah Pacheco. He embraces his Hispanic side, and you see the things that he's done," Chris Jr. said. "I feel like those are some of the things that I want to do."
In being on that journey, Chris Jr. hopes that he can go to Puerto Rico in the future – a visit that Albert Rodriguez believes would be deeply fulfilling for the 25-year-old.
"There's a lot of culture to be learned. A lot of good food to taste. I think that would be a highlight of his life to meet that side of the family," Albert said.
As for his Spanish, Chris Jr. jokes about how it's not where he'd like it to be. That fact was apparent last week during a visit to Mount Vernon Elementary School where Rodriguez Jr. was helping to assemble care package meal kits for kids who might otherwise go hungry over the weekend. The majority of students at Mount Vernon Elementary are Hispanic and English Language Learners.
"They were singing a song, and it was in Spanish, and I was like, 'These kids are way better at Spanish than I am,'" he said with a laugh.
So, it's a work in progress. Moments like these in the community or seeing that Puerto Rican flag decal on his Commanders helmet remind Chris Rodriguez Jr. that he can be a role model and is a part of something bigger than himself. The "Rodriguez" name is in -- literally – good hands, and his grandpa Vincent no doubt is somewhere smiling watching Chris Jr.'s very American dream unfold.
"Oh man, my brother would be so proud of Chris. We all feel that way, but the grandfather aspect of it, my brother would be unstoppable. He would just continue to brag about him. He would just be so happy," Albert Rodriguez said.
