NewsLocal News

Actions

Inclusivity, teamwork makes Mathis football a true "dream team"

Mathis Football stadium
Posted at 9:43 PM, Sep 19, 2023
and last updated 2023-09-20 16:16:46-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Student athletes from across the country put in work to get ready for game day, but one senior from Mathis was handed the opportunity to find the end zone.

Bobby Rodriguez or as he likes to be called 'Bobby Chief Patrick Mahomes' is a senior at Mathis High School—he brings something special to his team.

Coach Roger Masters said the Mathis football team is a place for everyone.

"We are all children of God and we all need to get the same opportunity," he said. "That's something that we preached everywhere we have been, that's something that our administration preaches, everybody gets the same opportunity, everybody gets the chance for success."

Bobby's mom Kimberly said her son has been playing sports since he was five. He has played baseball, basketball and now football.

At first she worried about how her son would be treated, but she said she has gotten so much support.

"Everyone all of his friends supports him they have always watched out for him, that's kind of been a very big, grateful thing that I have actually appreciated it from everybody," she said.

She said she's always wanted Bobby to feel like he belonged.

"I've never excluded him and no one else has and I don't expect anybody to make him feel like that, I want them to be stern on him and strong just the same way I do it, and if he's wrong he will know he has to be corrected," she said.

Christopher Dominguez works closely with Bobby and said it's extremely important he lives his dream —playing with his teammates — he now calls family.

"He keeps us motivated he's the one that makes the team go, I guarantee you he never has a bad day, so if you have a bad day and you look at Bobby he is going to lift you up," he said.

The coaches here at Mathis hope that Bobby continues to be an inspiration on the field as well as off the field.