Many veterans enroll in college after serving in the military, but one in particular is not content with just going to class. Daniel Rodriguez was recently cleared to play for Clemson University's football team as a walk-on wide receiver, The Associated Press reports.
The path won't be easy. Rodriguez has to earn his spot on the starting roster of one of the more competitive programs in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but he is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. He joined the Army soon after graduating high school and was in Iraq in 2007 for some of the heaviest fighting. He also served in Afghanistan where he received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal of Valor.
Upon his return from combat, Rodriguez, a high school football player, was contacted by dozens of college football programs including the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. He ultimately decided to attend Clemson, and given his experience over the last five years, he knows he has what it takes to make the team.
"I'm using the hardships, the horrors, the killing, the friends that I've lost as my fuel to (get) where I want to be," he told the AP. "So I think if you can turn and manipulate anything negative in your life and use it as something good, that's what I've taken into my life."
Over the last 10 years, Clemson has welcomed two former servicemembers on their football team, and the Armed Forces as a long history of being home to many talented football players. In fact, several years ago, Caleb Campbell, a safety for the Army's football team, was drafted by the Detroit Lions in one of the later rounds. Despite being drafted, Campbell eventually was ordered into active duty, but as of 2011 he was on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The athletic tradition of the Armed Forces dates back decades, with Navy alumni Roger Staubach being one of the most decorated quarterbacks of all time and fellow midshipman David Robinson winning two NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs and two gold medals in the Summer Olympics.