There's no better story for Episode 200! Daniel Rodriguez entered the Army shortly after losing his father at the age of 18. He joined the Infantry and was almost immediately thrust into one of the worst positions to be in as a new soldier in combat: the replacement for another soldier who had been killed in Iraq. Although it was a rough start, the unit he ended up with would ultimately be the group of guys he not only bonded with, but would also go through one of the bloodiest battles of the GWOT on October 3, 2009 at COP Keating, when the small outpost was attacked by over 300 Taliban fighters. Rodriguez would lose a close friend during the battle, but it was a friendship that would ultimately spark what would happen after Rodriguez left the Army, turning many negatives into a huge positive. Before losing his friend, Rodriguez promised that if he made it out of Keating alive, he would pursue Division I college football and maybe even the NFL if it led there. And that's exactly what Daniel Rodriguez did, making it as a walk-on at Clemson University, playing 3 years before earning a shot at the NFL. Rodriguez takes us through that journey, from a kid looking for direction, to surviving hellacious combat, to realizing his dreams and living big for those who didn't make it home. Hear it all on our 200th episode of HAZARD GROUND!

www.danielrayrodriguez.com | @DanielRod_83 | "Rise: A Soldier, a Dream, and a Promise Kept" | "The Outpost"

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors!

Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link)

Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts!

Episode Intro Music: "Prelude" by "Silence & Light" (www.silenceandlightmusic.com)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices