The exclusion of Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez from the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City, despite his historic season, has ignited a firestorm of controversy, highlighting the Heisman's persistent bias against defensive players.

Rodriguez, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was the recipient of both the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player). His stat line—which included 117 total tackles, 7 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions, and a defensive touchdown—was arguably superior to that of Manti Te'o's 2012 season, when the Notre Dame linebacker finished as a Heisman runner-up. In fact, Rodriguez ended up finishing 5th overall in the final Heisman voting.

The outrage stems from the fact that Rodriguez, the face of a Big 12 Champion and CFP-bound team, was passed over for three quarterbacks and one running back, cementing the perception that the Heisman has become an "Offensive Player Award." His wife, Emma Rodriguez, publicly called out the Heisman Trust, and former Heisman winner Robert Griffin III branded the snub a "CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY."

Rodriguez's exclusion is a clear signal that the award’s voters prioritize quarterbacks and offensive production over defensive dominance, regardless of how impactful a player is to his team's success. This systemic bias denied one of the most decorated defensive players of the modern era the recognition he earned on the national stage in New York.

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