.jpg) Blankenship in 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 28 – St. Louis Battlehawks | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Placekicker | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1997-01-29)January 29, 1997 (age 28) Marietta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 184 lb (83 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Sprayberry (Marietta) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Georgia (2015–2019) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2020: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Rodrigo John Blankenship (born January 29, 1997),[1] nicknamed "Hot Rod",[2][3] is an American professionalfootballplacekicker for theSt. Louis Battlehawks of theUnited Football League (UFL). He playedcollege football for theGeorgia Bulldogs,[4] where he kicked the longestfield goal inRose Bowl history. Blankenship has received considerable media attention for the thick glasses that he wears during games.[5][6]
Blankenship was born inMarietta, Georgia, to Ken and Izabella Blankenship.[7][8] He is ofBrazilian descent through his maternal grandparents, who still live there.[8] After spending several years playing soccer,[8] Blankenship began kicking footballs at 10 years old.[2][7] He attendedSprayberry High School.[5][7] As a high schooler, Blankenship participated in the 2014–15U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[9][10] He was ranked by247sports.com as the ninth-best kicker in the country.[10]
Blankenship entered Georgia in 2015 as a preferredwalk-on andredshirted his first year.[5] As a redshirt freshman, Blankenship earned the starting kicker spot.
During the2016 season, Blankenship was 14-for-18 onfield goals and 26-for-26 onextra points.[11] He led theteam in scoring and was named to theAll-Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman team.[5]
In2017 – his redshirt sophomore season – Blankenship received a full athletic scholarship.[12][13] He informed the team of the positive news after Georgia's 20–19 victory overNotre Dame.[8][12] In the2018 Rose Bowl, Blankenship made a record-long 55-yard field goal that proved pivotal in shifting the momentum away fromOklahoma, leading to Georgia's eventual 54–48 overtime victory.[5][12] In the2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game againstAlabama, Blankenship hit a 51-yard field goal in overtime to put the Bulldogs temporarily ahead.[14] However, Georgia ultimately lost the national championship game, 26–23.[15]
Blankenship finished the 2017 season having made 20 of his 23 field goal tries and all 63 extra points attempts.[11] By making 87 percent of his field goals attempts, Blankenship had the sixth-best season in school history.[14] 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.[14][16] He led the SEC in extra point attempts and conversions in the 2017 season.[17]
In July 2018, Blankenship was selected for the preseason All-SEC First Team.[18] During the2018 season, he went 19-for-23 on field goal attempts and made all 65 of his extra point attempts.[11] Following the 2018 regular season, Blankenship was named to the All-SEC Second Team.[19]
In December 2019, Blankenship won theLou Groza Award, given to the nation's top placekicker.[20] He also was honored as a member of the SEC Football Community Service Team.[21] In his senior season, Blankenship led the SEC in field goal attempts and conversions.[22]
Notably, Blankenship never missed a single extra point (200/200) in his college career.
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | Pos | GP | Kicking | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XPM | XPA | XP% | FGM | FGA | FG% | Pts | ||||||
| 2016 | Georgia | SEC | FR | PK | 10 | 26 | 26 | 100.0 | 14 | 18 | 77.8 | 68 |
| 2017 | Georgia | SEC | SO | PK | 15 | 63 | 63 | 100.0 | 20 | 23 | 87.0 | 123 |
| 2018 | Georgia | SEC | JR | PK | 14 | 65 | 65 | 100.0 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 122 |
| 2019 | Georgia | SEC | SR | PK | 14 | 46 | 46 | 100.0 | 27 | 33 | 81.8 | 127 |
| Career | 53 | 200 | 200 | 100.0 | 80 | 97 | 82.5 | 440 | ||||
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | |||||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[23] | ||||||||||||
Blankenship signed with theIndianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2020.[24]
In his NFL debut, Blankenship made both extra-point attempts and two of three field goal attempts in a 27–20 loss to theJacksonville Jaguars, the Jaguars' only win of the season.[25] In Week 11 against theGreen Bay Packers, Blankenship kicked a 39 yard game-winning field goal in overtime during the 34–31 victory, later earning theAmerican Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award.[26][27] 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.[28] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[29] During the 27–24 road loss to theBuffalo Bills in theWild Card Round of theplayoffs, Blankenship made one of his two field goal attempts and converted his only extra point opportunity.[30]
Blankenship played the first five games for the Colts before being placed oninjured reserve on October 16, 2021, due to a hip injury.[31] He converted seven of eight extra point attempts and 11 of 14 field goal attempts on the season.[32]
On September 11, in the Colts' season opener against theHouston Texans, 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.[33] He was waived two days later on September 13.[34]
Blankenship had a tryout with theJacksonville Jaguars on September 27, 2022.[35]
On October 3, Blankenship was among a group of kickers brought in to work out with theArizona Cardinals after kickerMatt Prater suffered a right hip injury during the Week 4 win against theCarolina Panthers.[36] Blankenship was outperformed byMatt Ammendola, who was chosen as Prater's replacement. However, Ammendola was released on October 17, after missing kicks in the two games he played.[37] The next day, Blankenship was signed to the Cardinals'practice squad.[38]
On October 20, 2022, Blankenship was elevated to the main roster for the Week 7 game against theNew Orleans Saints.[39] He made two field goals, one from 50 yards and two out of three extra points in the 42–34 win.[40] Blankenship reverted to the practice squad the next day.[41] He was signed to the active roster on October 26.[42] On November 2, Blankenship was waived with an injury settlement.[43]
On June 15, 2023, Blankenship signed with theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[44] He was released on August 21, 2023, after losing the kicker competition toChase McLaughlin.[45]
On January 8, 2025, Blankenship signed with theSt. Louis Battlehawks of theUnited Football League (UFL).[46] In week 6, Blankenship would make both of his field goal attempts, one being a 53 yard kick. He would be named the special teams player of the week.[47] On June 2, Blankenship was named to the 2025 All-UFL Team.[48]
| Year | Team | GP | Field Goals | Extra Points | Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGA | FGM | Lng | Pct | XPA | XPM | Pct | ||||
| 2020 | IND | 16 | 37 | 32 | 53 | 86.5 | 45 | 43 | 95.6 | 139 |
| 2021 | IND | 5 | 14 | 11 | 48 | 78.6 | 8 | 7 | 87.5 | 40 |
| 2022 | IND | 1 | 3 | 2 | 45 | 66.7 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 8 |
| ARI | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 100.0 | 3 | 2 | 66.7 | 8 | |
| Career | 24 | 56 | 47 | 53 | 83.9 | 58 | 54 | 93.1 | 195 | |
| Year | Team | GP | Field Goals | Extra Points | Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGA | FGM | Lng | Pct | XPA | XPM | Pct | ||||
| 2020 | IND | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 50.0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 4 |
| Career | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 50.0 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | Field Goals | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGA | FGM | Lng | Pct | ||||
| 2025 | STL | 10 | 22 | 21 | 56 | 95.5 | 63 |
| Career | 10 | 22 | 21 | 56 | 95.5 | 63 | |
Blankenship's father, Ken, played football atFlorida from1967 to1969.[49] Ken coached the kickers on every team for which Rodrigo played from fifth grade through the end of high school.[8]
While at Georgia, Blankenship studieddigital andbroadcast journalism,[50] with a particular focus onsports journalism.[8] On April 16, 2018, Blankenship released arap song titled "ATD."[51]
Blankenship is a big fan ofLEGO products and speaks frequently about how he loves building up the big models in particular.[52] Blankenship has also formed a friendship with LEGO internet personality Ryan McCullough (MandRproductions).[53] An avidshoe collector, Blankenship has amassed a respectable collection of raresneakers 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 toEric Dickerson andKareem Abdul-Jabbar and is noted to wear glasses while playing. He believes that no one should be ashamed to do so and let their performance on the field speak for itself.[54]
In 2020, Blankenship was named Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year byDiverse: Issues In Higher Education.[55]
Blankenship met Logan Harrell in their sophomore year at Georgia. They got engaged in 2021 and got married in 2022.[56]
Media related toRodrigo Blankenship at Wikimedia Commons