100 Greatest: No. 7 Player - Lupe Rodriguez

Lupe Rodriguez was a backup quarterback in 1985 when coaches David Lee and Rusty Dowling arrived, ready to install what became a revolutionary passing offense at Mission High.

Rodriguez liked what he saw right away and was thoroughly impressed when then-QB Rick Gutierrez threw for 1,846 yards that year. That number, as it turns out, was quite pedestrian.

"It was something I looked forward to," Rodriguez said about taking over for Gutierrez as a junior in 1986. "At the time I thought it was going to be some big shoes to fill, with Rick Gutierrez and that offense, because he had done pretty well for himself.

"I was just waiting my turn to hopefully someday get to play with the varsity."

Rodriguez did more than just play with the Eagles, instead leading them to unprecedented heights that included a then-unheard of 4,179 passing yards and 50 touchdowns as a senior - when he was named the Class 5A offensive player of the year.

For his ground-breaking contributions, Rodriguez checks in at No. 7 on the list of the top 50 players in Rio Grande Valley football history.

"Lupe was, I think, one of the best quarterbacks the state's ever produced," said Nati Valdez, one of Rodriguez's prime targets in 1986 and 1987.

That's a bold statement, but Rodriguez put up some bold numbers, especially during a time when prolific passing offenses were a novelty. When he graduated in 1988, Rodriguez held three national records: the single-season passing mark, the single-season TD mark and the most TD passes in a game (seven).

"Lupe had a knack for getting the ball into the right peoples' hands and didn't force things," said Frank Hernandez, a receiver in 1986 and 1987. "And he was a running threat. A lot of people didn't give him credit for that, but he would tuck that ball away in a heartbeat, and you had to defend him as a runner.

"And just because he was able to do that from time to time, he really presented a dual-threat type of quarterback."

History remembers Rodriguez as a passer, not a runner, but his superior instincts allowed him to do anything necessary. He grew up playing QB in his neighborhood, and did so every year in school from elementary on. In 1985, Rodriguez quarterbacked the sophomore team on Saturdays and served as Gutierrez's backup on Fridays.

Rodriguez says it was Dowling who truly implemented the Eagles' wide-open offense in 1986, and Rodriguez took immediate advantage. He led Mission to its first playoff berth since 1968 and defeated rival Harlingen High for the first time since 1941 while throwing for 2,473 yards and 33 scores.

The 1987 season was one for the record books as Rodriguez helped the Eagles average 424.1 yards per game while finding Valdez for 104 receptions and Hernandez for 98. All three earned all-state honors, and the Eagles (11-2) went three rounds deep in the postseason.

But it was Rodriguez who received national attention from ESPN and USA Today while setting 11 Valley passing records. Of course, Koy Detmer surpassed many of those a few years later, but Rodriguez still holds five Valley-best marks, including career TD passes (83) and single-season pass attempts (445).

"At the time, it was something we didn't think about," Rodriguez said. "We were just hoping to go further in the playoffs and just enjoy the moments. Once it was all said and done, we realized what we actually had accomplished.

"I just thought it was real good for the team, and also for the community, to be a part of something like that. But it was very overwhelming, getting so much recognition, never thinking that we could accomplish so much."

Jason McDaniel covered high school football for The Monitor. You can reach the sports department at (956) 683-4402. For more local stories, visit www.rgvsports.com.

WHY THEY VOTED

Here's a summary of Lupe Rodriguez's career, which played a major part in the player's ranking at No. 7:

Lupe Rodriguez held three national passing records when he graduated in 1988, the result of a revolutionary offense he quarterbacked through its infancy.

He still holds five Rio Grande Valley records, including 4,179 passing yards in 1986, and would hold many more if not for Koy Detmer, another Mission QB, who came along a few years later.

Rodriguez signed with Stephen F. Austin and later transferred to Texas A&I.

THE SERIES

With the 100th season of high school football in the Rio Grande Valley upon us, The Monitor will take a look at the top 25 coaches, top 25 teams and top 50 players of all time.

THE PLAYERS

1: TBA
AUG. 24

2: TBA
AUG. 23

3: TBA
AUG. 22

4: TBA
AUG. 21

5: TBA
AUG. 20

6: TBA
AUG. 19

7: LUPE RODRIGUEZ
Mission High

8: Nati Valdez
Mission High

9: jim Helms
San Benito

10: Jim Hudson
La Feria

11: Maurice Hunter
Harlingen High

12: George Strohmeyer
McAllen High

13: Roberto Garza
Rio Hondo

14: Mishak Rivas
Weslaco High

15: Tony Ellis
Brownsville Hanna

16: Bobby Ply
Mission High

17: Fred Edwards
Donna

18: Willie Crafts
Brownsville High

19: Jamaar Taylor
Mission High

20: Frank Hernandez
Mission High

21: Carlos Esquivel
Edinburg High

22: Jim Norris
Mercedes

23: Abel Gonzalez
Rio Grande City

24: John Mims
Mission High

25: Leo Araguz
Harlingen High

26: Juan Castillo
Port Isabel

27: Tommy Cox
La Feria

28: Jimmy Lawrence
Harlingen High

29: Luz Pedraza
Donna

30: Billy Garza
Brownsville Porter

31: Poppy Rodriguez
PSJA High

32: Jeremy Springer
Los Fresnos

33: Shon Flores
Port Isabel

34: Phil Hetrick
PSJA High

35: Joe Marichalar
Edcouch-Elsa

36: Alfredo Garza
Port Isabel

37: Charles LeGrange
Rio Grande City

38: Alfredo Lugo
Donna

(tie): Steve Alaniz
Edinburg High

40: Matt Gorges
Harlingen High

41: Justin Springer
Los Fresnos

(tie): Eliseo Pompa
Mission High

43: Donald Guillot
Port Isabel

44: Travis Sanders
Port Isabel

45: Gerald Lambert
McAllen High

(tie): Gonzalo Garcia
Brownsville High

(tie): John Lerma
Rio Grande City

48: Manny Gomez
Harlingen High

49: Donny Martin
Port Isabel

50: Robert Cortez
San Benito