All-America Performers Under Rodriguez 

All-Patriot League Performers Under Rodriguez

Joel Rodriguez, a former lineman at the University of Miami, begins his fourth year as a member of the Fordham coaching staff in 2015 where he will be in charge of the offensive line and serve as the run game coordinator.
 
Last year, the Fordham offense enjoyed another record-setting year with four of the five starting linemen earning All-Patriot League honors. The line blocked for freshman running back Chase Edmonds, who won the 2014 Jerry Rice Award as the top NCAA FCS freshman as well as the 2014 Patriot League Rookie of the Year award. Edmonds set the school single season rushing record while the Rams also set the team single season rushing mark with 2,353 yards, shattering the former mark of 2,162 set in 2013.
 
The Rams led the Patriot League in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense while on the national level the Rams ranked fourth in passing offense (326.1 yards/game) in the NCAA FCS and ranked among the top ten in scoring offense (40.6 points/game – fifth), team passing efficiency (156.23 – third), total offense (494.1 yards/game – seventh) and first downs (331 - ninth).

In 2013, the Fordham running game was a key to the Rams’ success as the team set school records for scoring (526 points), passing offense (5,052 yards) and total offense (7,214) with linemen Mason Halter and Tom Fisher leading the way as each earned First Team All-Patriot accolades at season’s end with Halter also receiving All-America honors. The Rams also led the NCAA FCS in total offense, averaging 376.4 yards/game.

On the ground, Fordham averaged 154.5 yards/game in 2013, paced by First Team All-Patriot League running back Carlton Koonce. Koonce became just the second running back in school history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in two seasons, leading the Patriot League with 1,462 yards on the ground, the fourth-best single season in Fordham’s history.

In 2012, Rodriguez coached an offensive line that helped the Fordham offense average 435.7 yards/game, second-best in the Patriot League and 18th-best in the NCAA FCS while the Rams scored 31.2 ppg, second in the league and 32nd in the NCAA FCS. The Rams also had the second- ranked passing offense in the Patriot League in 2012, averaging 279.6 yards/game, 18th best in the NCAA FCS. Individually, Lloyd Morrison was named First Team All-Patriot League.

Rodriguez arrived at Fordham after serving as the offensive line coach at Bryant University for four years, helping the Bulldogs make the transition from NCAA Div. II to NCAA FCS. In 2011, Rodriguez guided an offensive line that helped running back Jordan Brown lead the NCAA FCS in rushing, averaging 165.0 yards/game. In 2010, the Bulldogs allowed just 14 sacks in eight conference games, ranking in the top half of the league in that category.

In 2009, with only two seniors on the offensive line, the Bulldogs averaged 302.2 yards of total offense per game and scored 23 touchdowns including 14 passing touchdowns. Senior running back Jerell Smith rushed for 1,198 yards including a 239-yard performance in a win over Saint Francis.

In his first year at Bryant, the Bulldogs enjoyed a tremendously successful inaugural season competing at the Division I level, posting a 7-4 record overall, thanks in part to a strong running game. The Bulldogs finished the year ranked 28th nationally with 178.3 yards rushing per game and averaged 337 yards of total offense.

Prior to his four years at Bryant, Rodriguez was a graduate assistant coach at Mississippi in the spring of 2007.

A 2006 graduate of the University of Miami, Rodriguez was a standout offensive lineman with the Hurricanes from 2001-04, garnering Verizon Academic All-District honors during his career and being named to three BIG EAST All-Academic teams and one ACC All-Academic squad.

After serving as a backup during his first two years, Rodriguez was the starting center and anchor on the offensive line as a junior and senior. Rodriguez played in eleven games as a junior with ten starts before suffering a season-ending injury against Rutgers. He was named offensive MVP by the Miami coaching staff after an outstanding game in the team’s win over in-state rival Florida in 2003.

Rodriguez signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans following graduation and was a member of the practice squad in 2005 before being allocated to the NFL Europe Berlin Thunder in 2006.

Rodriguez is a graduate of Monsignor Pace High School where he was named the top-ranked center and fifth-best offensive lineman by Florida Prep Football.