ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Maybe it was the ride to the game with school administrators that inspired UNM Lobos punter Aaron Rodriguez before his team’s showdown with their in state rivals New Mexico State last Saturday. Rodriguez had a performance that led to him getting the nod for Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.
Rodriguez averaged 45.8 yards per punt with a long of 56. He also had two punts inside the 20-yard line. Rodriguez made it to the game two hours before kickoff after being honored on Friday night at UNM’s pledge ceremony, which recognizes the university’s nursing students.
“At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to go,” said Rodriguez. “My girlfriend is a nurse and she said you should really see if you can make that happen. So, talking with the coaches and everything they made it work.”
UNM head coach Bronco Mendenhall was impressed with his punter’s performance. “He was able to participate in that and came down on Saturday and then gosh, I think it was his best game of the year and what better time, and when you put it into context of who he is coming and what he is going to contribute to society in addition to that. Yeah, that is really cool,” said Mendenhall.
