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NFL Draft prospect Jacob Rodriguez will have a great job telling people when he will be signed by an NFL team next week to begin his journey in professional football.
But if you were to ask Rodriguez, his wife, Emma, has the best job in the family.
“Every time I get a chance to talk about her, she’s the best. Every time I get a chance to tell people what she does, they’re impressed, and rightfully so,” Rodriguez told Pak Gazette Digital during a recent interview.
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NFL prospect Jacob Rodriguez and his wife, Emma, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the United States Army, have partnered with USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL. (USA.)
Emma Rodríguez is a 15A aviation officer in the United States Army. She flies the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. While Jacob pursued his football dreams at the University of Virginia before transferring to Texas Tech, Emma, his high school sweetheart, was a West Point cadet.
Therefore, it seemed right to partner with USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL, ahead of Jacob’s start in professional football to help inspire all service members who sacrifice for our country just like Emma does.
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“I think they did a tremendous job and actually took us into a simulator,” Jacob said of USAA. “I got to go and my wife taught me how to fly, and it was a really fun experience. It’s something I didn’t think I’d be able to do. Just partnering with them and being able to serve as many people as we can.”
On the court, Jacob knows that it takes efficiency, strength, focus and more to perform at a high level. But being in that simulator gave him a new appreciation for what his wife does when she goes to work every day.
“What she does is very hard work and very stressful. But she is up to the task,” Jacob explained. “She’s always busy, always getting ready, getting ready. And that helps me a lot because I know someone who is working so hard and has so much on her shoulders that I can do what I do for fun. I have a lot of fun when I do it. When I can support her and show her all the appreciation I have for her, it means a lot to me.”
Their love story is one that certainly tugs at the heartstrings.
Jacob Rodriguez and his wife, Emma Rodriguez, celebrate after the Big 12 championship game against the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
They grew up in North Texas, attended rival high schools but built a bond that would face adversity given their individual dreams. Emma was headed to West Point in New York, while Jacob was trying to become a quarterback at Virginia.
Each faced their own levels of adversity: Jacob transferred to Texas Tech to become a non-scholarship linebacker at first, while Emma struggled to get through her freshman year at West Point.
But their bond grew stronger despite distance and personal struggles, and on July 1, 2023, they didn’t just get engaged. They got married the same day.
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They’ve been each other’s rocks ever since, and Jacob couldn’t be more grateful to have someone like Emma by his side as he waits for next Thursday’s draft.
“We try to be there as much as we can,” he said. “It helps that she’s doing what she’s doing and I’m doing what I’m doing. She understands the high performance of my environment and now I can understand the environment that she has. You always have to be efficient, be alert, be ready to act, be prepared.
“Just being able to support each other, knowing what we have to do and knowing how much work needs to be done, we can both be really efficient with our communication. We can both know that there’s more to it than just work. It’s a real, special connection, and we’re so grateful for each other. And I’m so grateful for everything she does and the way she supports me.”
While Jacob is eagerly waiting to see where his NFL journey begins, Emma is also set to deploy in a few months. But while the long-distance relationship may have to continue, they will be together next week to experience the draft together.
Jacob Rodriguez of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates with his wife Emma Rodriguez after the Big 12 championship game against the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 6, 2025. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
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“With the NFL Draft coming up, she’ll be there to support me. But if something comes up on her side, I’ll be there to support her. It’s nice when you have that coming from home and being around each other.
“What I do is something I can truly appreciate and something I never take for granted.”
