Jacob Rodriguez aims to follow Zach Thomas's legacy with the Miami Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — There are photos of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas all over the Dolphins' practice facility, homages of the impact the former All-Pro linebacker had during his 12 seasons in Miami.

Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is hoping to leave a similar legacy in Miami and follow in the footsteps of his mentor Thomas, who played for the same Texas Tech team that Rodriguez helped reach its first College Football Playoff this year.

Achieving that goal began Friday when Rodriguez and other Dolphins newcomers took the practice field for the first time for the start of rookie camp.

Rodriguez was humbled by seeing reminders of Thomas all over.

“It means a lot, especially seeing him around the facility, on the walls everywhere,” said Rodriguez, wearing a No. 10 Dolphins jersey. “It's kind of surreal knowing that he came from where I was, and he was doing the same thing. And that's kind of where I want to be, is a Hall of Famer. It makes it really easy to see the blueprint of what he did.”

Rodriguez began following the blueprint in college.

He went from playing quarterback as a freshman at Virginia to walking on at Texas Tech in 2022, eventually becoming one of the most dominant linebackers in the country.

The former Red Raiders team captain with a distinctive mustache won nearly every notable defensive award possible this past season, including the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski awards as the top defensive player, and the Dick Butkus Award as the top linebacker. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

He is the first FBS player in 20 years with at least five forced fumbles (he had seven), two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season.

“Jacob is a guy we’ve coveted for a long time,” Dolphins assistant general manager Kyle Smith said. GM "Jon-Eric (Sullivan) has talked about good football players and bringing good football players in here. Jacob is one of those guys — a flag bearer, captain, going to walk in Day 1 and be that type of guy. Takes the ball away, run game, pass game, three-down player. Go down the list of every single attribute that you want in an inside backer, that’s what this guy is.”

Rodriguez said he has a good relationship with Thomas, the 154th pick in 1996 who went on to make seven Pro Bowls and earn five All-Pro selections.

“He’s let me reach out to him for any questions I have,” Rodriguez said when he was drafted. “It’s a really cool experience to be in this position, to have guys who were in your same spot.”

Many believe in Rodriguez's ability to be a cornerstone piece in Miami's rebuild, perhaps creating a strong linebacker tandem with fellow rookie Kyle Louis, drafted out of Pittsburgh in the fourth round.

In addition to an organizational reboot that has included hiring a new general manager, head coach and staff, the Dolphins gutted their roster of most established players with an eye toward the future.

"It feels great to be believed in coming right in," Rodriguez said, adding: “Being in this position has been unbelievable, but we more so want to build relationships with the guys around us and be team first. This is Day 1 for us, so we've just got to keep building off today.”

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Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) works out during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 8, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) works out during the NFL football team's rookie minicamp Friday, May 8, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

BALTIMORE (AP) — Federal prosecutors announced charges Tuesday in the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing the Singapore-based operator of a ship and a key employee of making critical decisions that led to the disaster and the deaths of six people.

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India. Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali container ship, was also charged.

The Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes.

“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The companies and Nair are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and false statements.

An FBI investigation into the crash focused on the vessel’s operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port.

The National Transportation Safety Board found last year that two electrical blackouts — one caused by a loose wire aboard the Dali and another by problems with a fuel pump — disabled the controls of the huge cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

The Dali was leaving Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss. The ship crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m.

Maryland officials estimate it could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion to replace the bridge, which is expected to be open to traffic in late 2030.

But the true cost of the collapse was far greater, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands, rerouted road traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens and triggered economic problems statewide.

The indictment comes on the heels of a settlement in principle between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Singapore-based ship owner, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced in April.

That lawsuit alleged the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port. Plaintiffs include the families of the six construction workers who died, owners of cargo that was on the ship and local governments seeking damages for economic losses. The details of the settlement haven’t been disclosed and some portions of the lawsuit remain unresolved.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues and economic losses to Maryland and its residents.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state has against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general’s office said in April.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to build and opened to traffic in 1977.

White reported from Detroit.

FILE - The cargo ship Dali is stuck under part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)