UGA’s Rodrigo Blankenship will get an NFL shot as undrafted free agent

Rodrigo Blankenship and his beloved sport goggles are headed to the NFL.

The former Georgia place-kicker will join the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, according to muliple reports Saturday night. Blankenship, one of only three place-kickers invited to the league’s combine in February, was the highest-selected specialist in the draft but did not hear his name called.

And his fame could live on with his next group of fans, too.

Blankenship started his career as a walk-on, eventually beating out Macon native William Ham for the starting role in 2016. Blankenship is a tad quirky, and that’s how his name became known. He hit three field goals, including the game-winner, as the Bulldogs beat Kentucky in Lexington. Blankenship wore the helmet and “rec specs” for the postgame interview and became a social media sensation.

He did the same a week later with local media, after reporters had to convince a team spokesperson, and Blankenship’s name was backed by an iconic look. The rest was history.

Blankenship earned a scholarship in 2017, and continued to etch his name in Georgia lore as one of the program’s most-recognizable place-kickers … for statistics and more than the goggles. He hit a game-saving field goal in the Rose Bowl victory, had a clutch overtime kick in the national championship loss and followed it up with an ideal send-off for a senior season.

“This is a story for the ages,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said.

He set the school record for career points scored against Texas A&M, beating the number set by Blair Walsh. Blankenship also gave NFL teams a last glimpse of what they can expect. He hit 27 of 33 field goals and assumed kickoff duties with 65 touchbacks on 85 attempts.

He’s known for the beloved goggles, but brings a dependable leg, too.

This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 7:20 PM.