Dustin Fleming

Happy birthday to former Wagoner, Oklahoma State University and current Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, born on this day in 1999 in Tahlequah. Rodriguez was an All-State defensive back as a senior after helping guide the Bulldogs to the Class 4A state championship in 2016. As a senior, he had 79 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries on defense. He also was the team's quarterback, passing for nearly 2-thousand yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 1,691 yards and 21 scores. In all, he accounted for 115 total touchdowns in his high school career. He was also a state wrestling champion and played baseball for the Bulldogs. He signed with Oklahoma State and was moved from defensive back to linebacker, where in four seasons, he made more than 400 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions and scored a touchdown on a fumble return. His 409 total tackles remains fourth on the all-time Cowboys' list. He was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and in 2021 was named All-American. He was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and started 15 games as a rookie. Injuries limited him to just 17 games over the next two seasons. In four NFL seasons, Rodriguez has made 163 tackles, 11 for losses, three sacks, five quarterback hits, forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. He recently signed on for his fifth season with the Lions. Happy birthday Malcolm! #tdfn #okpreps @malcolmlrod @Wagoner_FB @CowboyFB @Lions

Happy birthday to former Wagoner, Oklahoma State and NFL defensive back Kevin Peterson, born on this day in 1994 in Muskogee. Peterson was a two-way star at Wagoner, rushing for 1,621 yards and 25 touchdowns while making 42 tackles and three interceptions as a senior, earning first-team All-State and The Oklahoman's Defensive Player of the Year and SuperPrep All-Amercan accolades in 2011 on the way to helping Wagoner win the Class 4A state championship. In the title game, Peterson rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns as Wagoner defeated Clinton 23-0. Peterson was also a high school track champion at Wagoner, winning both the 100 and 200 meters in 2011. Peterson verbally committed to Oklahoma following the state championship game, but later signed with Oklahoma State and played in all 13 games as a freshman, making 18 tackles and breaking up two passes to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. He moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and had a breakout season as a junior in 2014 when he made 59 tackles, broke up 11 passes and intercepted two others. As a senior, Peterson earned a spot on the First-Team All-Big 12 and was a Thorpe Award Semifinalist after making 42 tackles, breaking up six passes, intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble. He was invited to participate in the Senior Bowl, but suffered an ankle sprain in practices and was unable to play. Peterson went undrafted in 2016, but signed with the Chicago Bears and later the Los Angeles Rams. He appeared in six games with the Rams in 2017, making 11 tackles, breaking up six passes, intercepting two others and recovering a fumble. In 2019, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals and went on to play three seasons in Arizona, including seven starts. After his playing career, Peterson began coaching, earning a position as cornerbacks coach at Colorado State University - Pueblo in 2024. Today, Peterson is a defensive assistant coach with the Carolina Panthers. Happy birthday Kevin! #tdfn #okpreps @Wagoner_FB @CowboyFB