Chris Rodriguez Jr. was around the sixth grade when a question began to increasingly weigh on his mind.

"When I started playing football and my last name was on my jersey, it was something I wanted to ask my dad, 'Hey why is my last name Rodriguez?' He just told me, 'You've got a little Puerto Rican in you,'" Rodriguez recalled.

As a third generation American, the Washington Commanders' running back has had an evolving relationship with his Puerto Rican identity. There were times growing up when it felt far away; an element of who he was that popped into consideration from time and again. As he has gotten older, there's an increased feeling of connectedness to these roots and a desire to learn more.

The Rodriguez family moved from Puerto Rico to New York in the 1950s, a decade that saw

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