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NFL Draft prospect Jacob Rodriguez will have a pretty cool job to tell people about when he is taken next week by an NFL team to begin his journey as a professional football player.
But if you ask Rodriguez, his wife, Emma, has the coolest job in the family.
“Any time I get a chance to talk about her, it’s the best. Anytime I get a chance to tell people what she does for a living, they’re blown away, and rightfully so,” Rodriguez told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
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NFL prospect Jacob Rodriguez and his wife, Emma, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army, have teamed up with USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL. (USAA)
Emma Rodriguez is a 15A Aviation Officer in the United States Army. She pilots the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. While Jacob was pursuing his football dreams at the University of Virginia before transferring to Texas Tech, Emma, his high school sweetheart, was a West Point junior.
So it only seemed right for them to partner with USAA, the official Salute to Service partner of the NFL, ahead of Jacob’s professional football debut, to inspire all those in the military who sacrifice for our country, just like Emma does.
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“I think they do a wonderful job, and they were able to take 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 could do. Just collaborating with them and being able to serve as many people as possible.”
On the field, Jacob knows that efficiency, strength, focus and more are necessary to perform at a high level. But being in this simulator gave him a new appreciation for what his wife does when she goes to work each day.
“What she does is very hard work and very stressful. But she’s up to it,” Jacob said. “She’s always busy, always getting ready, getting ready. And that helps me so much because I know someone who works so hard and has so much on their 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 that I have for her, it means a lot to me.”
Their love story is certainly one that touches the heart.
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, attending rival high schools but building a bond that would confront them with adversity given their individual dreams. Emma was headed to West Point in New York, while Jacob was trying to be a quarterback in Virginia.
They each faced their own level of adversity, with Jacob transferring to Texas Tech to become a linebacker without a scholarship early on, 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 rock ever since, and Jacob couldn’t be more grateful to have someone like Emma by his side as he looks ahead to next Thursday’s draft.
“We try to be present as much as possible,” he said. “It helps that she does what she does, and I do what I do. She understands how efficient my environment is, and now I can understand the environment that she’s in. You always have to be efficient, on your toes, be ready to go, be prepared.
“Just being able to support each other and knowing what we need to do and knowing how much work needs to be done, we can both be really effective in our communication. We can both know that there’s more 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 looks forward to seeing where his NFL journey begins, Emma is also expected to be deployed in a few months. But even though 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 happens on her end, I’ll be there to support her. It’s nice when you have that coming from home and being together.
“What I do is something I can truly enjoy and something I never take for granted.”
