Rodrigo John Blankenship (born January 29, 1997), nicknamed Hot Rod,
is an
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 ...
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Spe ...
who is a free agent. 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
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, where he kicked the longest field goal in
Rose Bowl history. He has received considerable media attention for the thick glasses that he wears during games.
Early life
Blankenship was born in
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
to Ken and Izabella Blankenship.
He is of
Brazilian descent through his maternal grandparents, who still live there.
After spending several years playing soccer,
he began kicking footballs at ten years old.
Blankenship attended
Sprayberry High School
Sprayberry High School is a public high school located in northeastern Cobb County in Marietta, Georgia, United States, a north-northwestern suburb of metro Atlanta. It is a comprehensive senior high school (grades 9–12) with approximately 1700 ...
.
As a high schooler, he participated in the 2014–15
U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
He was ranked by
247sports.com as the ninth-best kicker in the country.
College career
Blankenship entered Georgia in 2015 as a preferred
walk-on and
red-shirted his first year.
As a red-shirt freshman, Blankenship earned the starting kicker spot. During the
2016 season, Blankenship was 14-for-18 on
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
s and 26-for-26 on
extra point
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
s.
He led the
team
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...
in scoring and was named to the All-
SEC Freshman team.
In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
– his redshirt sophomore season – Blankenship received a full athletic scholarship.
He informed the team of the positive news after Georgia's 20–19 victory over
Notre Dame.
In the
2018 Rose Bowl
The 2018 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Georgia Bulldogs, played on January 1, 2018 at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. The 104th Rose Bowl Game was a semifinal for the College Footba ...
, Blankenship made a record-long 55-yard field goal that proved pivotal in shifting the momentum away from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, leading to Georgia's eventual 54–48 overtime victory.
In the
2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game against
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, Blankenship hit a 51-yard field goal in overtime to put the Bulldogs temporarily ahead.
However, Georgia ultimately lost the national championship game, 26–23.
Blankenship finished the 2017 season having made 20 of his 23 field goal tries and all 63 extra points attempts.
By making 87 percent of his field goals attempts, Blankenship had the sixth-best season in school history.
His 67 touchbacks – a dramatic improvement over his 20 touchbacks in 2016 – were also a school record, and they came after he adjusted his technique on kickoffs.
He led the SEC in extra point attempts and conversions in the 2017 season.
In July 2018, Blankenship was selected for the preseason All-SEC First Team. During the
2018 season, he went 19-for-23 on field goal attempts and made all 65 of his extra point attempts.
Following the 2018 regular season, Blankenship was named to the All-SEC Second Team.
In December 2019, Blankenship won the
Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
, given to the nation's top placekicker.
He also was honored as a member of the SEC Football Community Service Team. In his senior season, he led the SEC in field goal attempts and conversions.
Notably, Blankenship never missed a single extra point (200/200) in his college career.
Collegiate statistics
Professional career
Indianapolis Colts
Blankenship signed with 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 on April 29, 2020.
2020 season
In his first game with the
Colts, Blankenship made both extra-point attempts and two of three field goal attempts in a 27–20 loss to the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, the Jaguars' only win of the season. In Week 11 against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, Blankenship kicked a 39 yard game-winning field goal in overtime during the 34–31 win, later earning the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award. By the end of the regular season, Blankenship had converted 43 out of 45 extra point attempts and made 32 out of 37 field goal tries, with a long of 53 yards.
In the 27–24 loss to the
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. ...
in the first round of the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, Blankenship made one of his two field goal attempts and converted his only extra point opportunity.
2021 season
Blankenship played the first five games for the Colts before being placed on injured reserve on October 16, 2021 due to a hip injury.
2022 season
On September 11, in the Colts' season opener against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, Blankenship went 2-for-3 on field goals, kicking two kickoffs out of bounds and missing a potential game-winning 42-yarder in overtime as the game ended in a 20–20 tie. He was waived two days later on September 13.
Arizona Cardinals
Blankenship had a tryout with the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
on September 27, 2022. On October 3, he was among a group of kickers brought in to work out with 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 ...
after kicker
Matt Prater
Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for
the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...
suffered a right hip injury during the Week 4 win against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He was outperformed by
Matt Ammendola
Matt Ammendola (born December 11, 1996) is an American football kicker who is a free agent. He played college football at Oklahoma State. After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, he played for the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Houston ...
, who was chosen as Prater's replacement. However, Ammendola was released on October 17, after missing kicks in the two games he played. The next day, Blankenship was signed to the Cardinals' practice squad.
On October 20, 2022, he was elevated to the main roster for the Week 7 game against New Orleans Saints. He made two field goals, one from 50 yards and two out of three extra points in the 42-34 win. He reverted to the practice squad the next day. He was signed to the active roster on October 26. On November 2, he was waived with an injury settlement.
NFL career statistics
Postseason
Personal life
Blankenship's father, Ken, played football at
Florida
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 ...
from
1967 to
1969. Ken coached the kickers on every team for which Rodrigo played from fifth grade through the end of high school.
While at Georgia, Blankenship studied
digital and
broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...
, with a particular focus on
sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the ...
.
On April 16, 2018, Blankenship released a
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
song titled "ATD."
Blankenship is a big fan of
LEGO
Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...
products and speaks frequently about how he loves building up the big models in particular. He has also formed a friendship with LEGO internet personality Ryan McCullough (MandRproductions). An avid
shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
collector, Blankenship has amassed a respectable collection of rare
sneakers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
that he keeps at his home, notably owning sneakers with designs that he matches with his socks. A pet owner, Blankenship owns a cat named Lucas, which he has shown in interviews made at his home.
Blankenship looks up to
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Me ...
and
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran.
Given name Karim
* Karim A ...
and is noted to wear glasses while playing. He believes that one should not be ashamed to do so and let their performance on the field speak for itself.
In 2020, Blankenship was named Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year by ''Diverse: Issues In Higher Education''.
References
External links
Indianapolis Colts bioGeorgia Bulldogs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blankenship, Rodrigo
1997 births
Living people
Players of American football from Marietta, Georgia
American football placekickers
Georgia Bulldogs football players
Arizona Cardinals players
Indianapolis Colts players
American sportspeople of Brazilian descent
All-American college football players