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Video: Malcolm Rodriguez Hip-Tosses Eagles Center Jason Kelce

Malcolm Rodriguez has the personality on and off the field that Detroit Lions football will embrace quickly.

John Maakaron

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Detroit Lions rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez got his first taste of NFL regular season action against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The young linebacker caught the attention of the coaching staff, due to his play all throughout his first NFL training camp and in the preseason. 

While it was not a surprise to see Rodriguez earn the starting nod, it still must be pointed out that he was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of this year's draft. 

“Yeah, we had a good rotation," he said postgame. "Everyone did their part. Coming in, we knew that everyone was going to play a big role. (Kelvin Sheppard) Shep and the coaches preach that. Everybody’s got a role on this team.”

His physicality, strength and athleticism make him a prospect that is going to be developed over time and will yield very positive returns. 

While his performance in Week 1 had its ups and downs, a moment caught on film involving Rodriguez has now gone viral. 

Against Philadelphia center Jason Kelce, Rodriguez was attempting to shed a block, and eventually hip-tossed the veteran lineman to the ground, sending him flying. 

Facing quarterback Jalen Hurts 

Hurts was able to have his way against the Lions' defense, as he found open lanes and broke through Lions containment with elusive moves and quick decision-making. 

"Yeah, he’s very slick," said Rodriguez. "I played him in college when he was at OU (Oklahoma). He’s very slick, and obviously, he’s progressed in the league. He got a couple of runs on us, so we’ve got to fix it. The next day, we’ve got to fix it.”

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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