Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at Midwestern State and was signed by the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2001. Rhodes was also a member of the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

between stints with the Colts and

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. He earned a

Super Bowl ring The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the team members of the winning team of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Since only one Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded to the team (ownership) itsel ...

with the Colts in

Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...

, defeating the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

, and set an NFL record for rushing yards by an undrafted rookie, with 1,104 yards. Rhodes also played for the

Virginia Destroyers The Virginia Destroyers were a professional American football team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They began play in the United Football League (2009–2012), United Football League (UFL) in the 2011 UFL season, 2011 season. They played their ...

and the

Florida Tuskers Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

of the United Football League.

College career

After attending Abilene Cooper High School, Rhodes was recruited by many major college programs including

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

and

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples ...

. He signed instead with

Tyler Junior College Tyler Junior College (TJC) is a public community college in Tyler, Texas. It is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,500 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enroll ...

Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...

. Rhodes played two years at Tyler Junior College, where he earned

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honors and twice was named an all-conference selection. Rhodes then attended

Midwestern State University Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is a public liberal arts university in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 2020 it had 5,141 undergraduate students. It is the state's only public institution focused on the liberal arts. History Founded in 1922 as ...

where he was a standout running back.

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

After two years at Midwestern State University, Rhodes decided to go to the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

. Despite his college experience, he was not chosen in the

2001 NFL Draft The 2001 NFL Draft was the 66th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players. The draft, which is officially referred to as the "NFL Player Selection Meeting," was held at the ...

. He was signed as an

by the

. In a 2001 game against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

, Rhodes returned a

kickoff Kickoff or kick-off may refer to * Kick-off (association football) * Kickoff (gridiron football) * ''Kick Off'' (series), a series of computer association football games * ''Kick Off'' (album), a 1985 album by Onyanko Club * ''Kick Off'' (magaz ...

for a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

. In that game, the Indianapolis Colts' starting

Edgerrin James Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami ...

, injured his knee and ended his season. As a result, Rhodes was the starting running back for the rest of the Colts' 2001 season. That year, Rhodes ran for the most rushing yards by an undrafted

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

in NFL history, with 1,104, despite only starting the final nine games of the season. Rhodes missed the entire 2002 season due to a torn ACL. After recovering, he backed up James from 2003–2005. During the

2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006. The season began with the reigning Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh defeating the Miami in t ...

, Rhodes split time with rookie running back

Joseph Addai Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...

, as James left for the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

. Rhodes finished the year with 641 yards and five touchdowns. On February 4, 2007, in

, he scored a one-yard touchdown and rushed for over 100 yards to help the Colts claim a 29-17 victory.

Oakland Raiders

Rhodes became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

for the 2007 free agency period. On March 9, he signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Oakland Raiders. On July 3, he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

policy. Rhodes was released by the Raiders on April 28, two days after they drafted running back

Darren McFadden Darren McFadden (born August 27, 1987) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round with the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NFL Dra ...

fourth overall in the

2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

Indianapolis Colts (second stint)

On May 7, 2008, Rhodes returned to the Colts on a one-year, $605,000 contract. During the 2008-09 season, Rhodes split time with

and ran for 538 yards and a team-leading six rushing touchdowns. He contributed in the passing game as well, recording 302 yards and three TDs receiving. During the offseason, on April 19, 2009, Rhodes signed with the

on a two-year deal. The Bills ended up releasing Rhodes during the preseason, without him playing a single down for them.

Florida Tuskers

Rhodes was signed by the UFL's

for their 2010 season. During the 2010 season, Rhodes set UFL single-season records for total touchdowns (10), rushing yards (547) and all-purpose yards (918). He was also third in the UFL in yards from scrimmage (652) and second in kickoff return average (21.7). Rhodes scored at least one touchdown in each of the first seven games of the eight game season. Rhodes and the Tuskers qualified for the

2010 UFL Championship Game The 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as l ...

, but were ultimately defeated by the defending champions Las Vegas Locomotives 23-20.

Indianapolis Colts (third stint)

On December 7, 2010, just 10 days removed from the UFL Championship game, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they had signed Dominic Rhodes for the remainder of the 2010 season as well as the playoffs. Rhodes played in their remaining three games that year, and finished the season with 37 carries for 172 yards and no touchdowns. He also played in their playoff loss to the New York Jets. Following the Colts playoff loss, Rhodes became a free agent. During the offseason, NFL Commissioner

Roger Goodell Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who is currently the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). On August 8, 2006, Goodell was chosen to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He was chosen ...

announced he was suspending nine different free agents, one of which was Rhodes. The suspension was to be for at least an entire year and likely a result of failing a third drug test. Since Rhodes was soon-to-be 33 years old, it was widely believed no team would sign him to wait a year before he could play for them, and it likely signaled the end of his NFL career.

Virginia Destroyers

The Virginia Destroyers (formerly Florida Tuskers) announced on September 8 that they had re-signed Dominic Rhodes for the 2011 season, their inaugural season in Virginia. In a week 4 win over the

Sacramento Mountain Lions The Sacramento Mountain Lions was a professional American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rect ...

, Rhodes ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns, both UFL single game records. Rhodes would be named the UFL's offensive player of the year for 2011. After going 4-1 in the shortened season, Rhodes and the Destroyers defeated the two-time defending UFL Champion Las Vegas Locos 17-3 in the

2011 UFL Championship Game The 2011 UFL Championship Game was the third championship game of the United Football League and took place on October 21, 2011, the concluding weekend of the league's truncated third season. The game was won by the Virginia Destroyers, who, in ...

in front of a jam-packed crowd at the

Virginia Beach Sportsplex The Virginia Beach Sportsplex is a sports complex in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The name is most commonly attached to the main stadium within the complex, which opened in 1999. It has a permanent seating capacity of 6,000, on two decks of seating, ...

. Rhodes ran for 90 yards and a touchdown in the game. Rhodes is actually one of four former NFL players to win a Super Bowl and a UFL Championship. Rhodes' teammates on the 2011 Virginia Destroyers included LB Diyral Briggs (Packers, SB XLV), DT Jay Alford (Giants, SB XLII) and WR John Standeford (Colts, and Rhodes' teammate during SB XLI) who all share the same claim.

Montreal Alouettes

On March 27, 2013, at age 34, Rhodes signed with the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. He was released on June 16, 2013.

NFL career statistics

Personal

Legal troubles

On February 20, 2007, Rhodes was driving in a zone on

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

at 3 a.m. He was pulled over by the Indiana State Police and arrested for drunk driving.WISH TV 8: Indianapolis News and Weather – Our Apologies
/ref> Rhodes claimed at the time that he had only "two or three" alcoholic drinks; he failed two sobriety tests with a blood alcohol content of 0.09%. He subsequently pleaded guilty and on March 21, 2007, was given a suspended 180-day sentence and fined $2,000.

References

External links

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Just Sport Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, Dominic 1979 births Living people African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football American football running backs Buffalo Bills players Canadian football running backs Florida Tuskers players Indianapolis Colts players Midwestern State Mustangs football players Montreal Alouettes players Oakland Raiders players Players of American football from Texas Sportspeople from Waco, Texas Sportspeople from Abilene, Texas Tyler Apaches football players Virginia Destroyers players