Rod Rutledge

{{Short description|American football player (born 1975)}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image =

| number = 83

| position = Tight end

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|8|12}}

| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lbs = 265

| high_school = E.B. Erwin (Birmingham)

| college = Alabama

| draftyear = 1998

| draftround = 2

| draftpick = 54

| teams =

• New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1998}}–{{NFL Year|2001}})
• Houston Texans ({{NFL Year|2002}})

| highlights =

• Super Bowl champion (XXXVI)
• Second-team All-SEC (1997)

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 27

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 204

| statlabel3 = Total touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 1

}}

Rodrick Almar Rutledge (born August 12, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for five seasons with the New England Patriots and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1998 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1998/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

Rutledge was the first player to ever catch a pass from Tom Brady, a 6-yard reception on Thanksgiving Day 2000 against the Detroit Lions.{{cite web | last=Buckley | first=Steve | title=Eighteen years later, Rod Rutledge still basks in being first to catch pass from Tom Brady | website=The New York Times| date=2019-01-30 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/791658/2019/01/30/eighteen-years-later-rod-rutledge-still-basks-in-being-first-to-catch-pass-from-tom-brady/ | access-date=2025-06-07}} Known more for his blocking than his pass catching, Rutledge was a key member of the 2001 Super Bowl champion Patriots.{{Cite web |title=Rod Rutledge Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RutlRo00.htm |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 6

| height in = 4 7/8

| weight = 272

| dash = 4.99

| ten split = 1.76

| twenty split = 2.91

| bench = 20

| arm span = 35 7/8

| hand span = 10 7/8

| note = All values from the NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=22760 |title=Rodrick Rutledge, Combine Results, TE - Alabama |website=nflcombineresults.com |access-date=April 21, 2023}}

}}