By Jake Dickman
NKyTribune intern
Covington Catholic junior Willie Rodriguez said he began competing in the sport of wrestling when he was in the first grade. He has won more than 100 matches during his high school career and enters the Region 5 tournament this weekend ranked No. 4 in the state in the 285-pound weight class.
But Rodriquez has paved a path in a different sport at CovCath. He’s being recruited by several NCAA Division I football teams as a tight end and is currently ranked among the nation’s top 50 high school players in that position in the class of 2024.
Last season, Rodriquez played six games at tight end and linebacker for the CovCath football team. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds on the roster, he caught 14 passes for 295 yards and five touchdowns while making 10 tackles and two quarterback sacks on defense.
His size and athletic abilities have garnered attention from college recruiters. At last count, he has received scholarship offers from Indiana, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Ohio University, Miami of Ohio, Toledo, James Madison and Eastern Kentucky.
Tight end is where Rodriguez sees himself playing in college. “I like catching touchdowns,” he said.
Despite all the national attention he’s drawing in football, Rodriguez has stuck with his first love of wrestling and is striving to become CovCath’s first state champion in that sport.
As a freshman, he won the Region 5 championship in the 182-pound weight class. Last season, he placed third in the region and seventh at state at 190 pounds.
Rodriquez is competing in the state’s highest weight class (285) this season and put his career win total over the 100 mark in January. But he hasn’t pursued any college offers in wrestling offers because he’s all in on football.
“I’ve not really tried to put myself out there very much (in wrestling),” he said. “Football has always been my focus to play in college. I could reach out, but I have not tried.”
In addition to enjoying wrestling, Rodriguez feels like the time he spends training and competing on the mat makes him a better football player.
“It helps a lot with conditioning and toughness. Tackling also. It helps a lot,” he said.
Covington Catholic football coach Eddie Eviston has no problem with Rodriguez wrestling in the winter months instead of spending more time in the weight room.
“He likes it,” Rodriquez said of Eviston. “I think it helps with college recruiting. A lot of college coaches like it too.”
CovCath is one of 12 local wrestling teams that will compete in the Region 5 tournament on Saturday at Walton-Verona High School. The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight classes will advance to a semi-state tournament on Feb. 18 at Ryle High School.
The two finalists in each weight class at two semi-state tournaments will move on to the state finals Feb. 24-25 at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.