Undersized DB not short on confidence
A 4-year starter, Brandeis’ Inesta-rodriguez says he belongs on field with ‘best of the best’
Brandeis’ Aiden Inesta-rodriguez chuckled when asked about his reaction when he got an invitation to play in Saturday’s San Antonio Sports All-star Game.
“Honestly, with my confidence, I was like ‘I should have been selected for this game,’ ” Inesta-rodriguez said. “I was really excited overall, and seeing the people selected from my school made me even happier.”
Inesta-rodriguez has made a big impression on the area high school football scene since he was a 5-foot-5 freshman locking down top receivers at cornerback.
He’s two inches taller now with boundless confidence, having transformed into one of the area’s top all-around players. He’s spotplayed at receiver and became a fulltime punt and kick returner.
He’s expected to have the same roles in Saturday’s contest that is gathering more than 100 of the top senior players from the San Antonio area. The game is set for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome.
Inesta-rodriguez is playing for Team Gold, coached by Southside’s Ricky Lock. Inesta-rodriguez’s teammates in the game include receiver Julian Yzaguirre, linebacker Wylie Hamilton and punter Matthew Gibbons.
Their opposition, Team Black, is coached by recently named Judson coach Mark Soto, formerly of Johnson.
“It’s so much fun being out there with everyone from San Antonio — the best of the best just competing,” Inesta-rodriguez said. “The vibe is just amazing.”
Inesta-rodriguez’s confidence has grown exponentially since his freshman year. It’s been a gradual process getting there.
“I’m not going to lie, those first couple of games were a little scary being straight from eighth grade and coming into high school,”
Inesta-rodriguez said. was playing grown men.”
His first varsity experience came in a scrimmage against Judson. That Rockets team included Demarvin Leal (Texas A&M), Sincere Mccormick (UTSA), Rashad Wisdom (UTSA), Lucas Coley (Arkansas) and Mike Chandler II (Coloradolamar).
Leal and Mccormick recently declared for the NFL draft. Leal and Chandler were Express-news Players of the Year.
“Looking back at it, that was insane that I was playing with those guys,” Inestarodriguez said. “But now, my mentality is that I belonged on that field with them. I should be playing with them.”
Charles Bruce, who just completed his first season as Brandeis’ head coach, didn’t know much about Inesta-rodriguez when he took over. It didn’t take long for Inesta-rodriguez to make a strong impression.
“First of all, I think he’s a phenomenal person,” Bruce said. “As far as a football player, he’s an outstanding athlete. He’s like a coach on the field. He has so many intangibles — great hands, “I great feet, great mind. He’s a special kid.”
Inesta-rodriguez never has seen his size as a liability.
“I’ve always been the smallest, so that’s nothing new to me,” Inesta-rodriguez said. “I’ve never really noticed that I was really that small. I would always play bigger than myself like my dad taught me. I would just do me.”
Not everyone thought that, especially opposing coaches. He used that to his
“I wanted to prove to everyone that size doesn’t matter, and I’m still on that mission. If you are a baller, you can ball.” Brandeis defensive back Aiden Inesta-rodriguez
advantage in the early going.
“That’s when I realized they are kind of sleeping on me because of my height,” Inesta-rodriguez said. “That put me more on a mission. I wanted to prove to everyone that size doesn’t matter, and I’m still on that mission. If you are a baller, you can ball and play at the next level.”
Opposing coaches seem to have gotten the message. Over the past two seasons, teams were throwing away from him, Inesta-rodriguez said. He had two interceptions and 40 tackles in 2021.
Inesta-rodriguez’s next goal is convincing college coaches. He has offers from Sam Houston State (FCS, moving up to FBS in 2023), Morgan State (FCS), Texas A&m-kingsville (NCAA Division II) and Mary-hardin Baylor (2021 NCAA Division III national champion).
He believes his size has factored into his recruiting.
“I’ve gotten that sense, but I try not to let it bother me too much,” Inesta-rodriguez said. “I don’t want to look at it like that. I want to use it as fuel. I want to prove to you that I’m the best and I’m going to lock down whoever you are offering. That’s been my mentality since I was younger.”