Like a finely crafted multi-tool, some football players, as in the case of Wright City junior Benji Rodriguez, are built to do it all.

They're the kind of athletes who defy a single position, effortlessly transitioning from catching passes to taking handoffs, from blocking on the line to returning kicks.

They are the ultimate “Swiss Army knives” of the gridiron, and in an era of specialized roles, their versatility is not just a novelty – it's a game-changing asset that leaves defenses guessing and offenses and special teams units thriving.

Good thing for the Wright City football team on Sept. 5 that Rodriguez was able to pull out a veritable arsenal of tools on offense – where he was pressed into service at quarterback – while also excelling on special teams and, early on, at running back, in leading the Wildcats’ total-team effort in a 14-8 win at Winfield.

“I never really understood the difference between quarterback and any other position,” Rodriguez said. “At QB, it feels like everything is on you, but at the same time, it’s really not. You have a team, and I know my team is full of great teammates to help me make plays. I just made sure I did my job, and my teammates did their jobs, and we executed together.”

In the early going of the win at Winfield, Rodriguez made play after play for the visiting Wildcats (1-1) in helping Wright City win for the third straight time over the Warriors.

Among the highlights of his 27 carries for 168 yards – a staggering 6.2 yards per carry – for the 5-foot-5, 145-pound Rodriguez were a 60-yard punt return for a score and a 29-yard touchdown on back-to-back possessions between late in the first quarter and early in the second.

“My first touchdown ever was that return, and it was super-exciting,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I did, thanks to my blockers. My rushing touchdown was thanks to my line. They do it all. I love every single person on this team. We’re just like one big family.”

For as complimentary as those around him were, the entirety of the Wildcats roster, beginning with coach Tyler Rickard, would have been hard-pressed not to recognize Rodriguez’s contributions.

With the score at 14-0, Wright City senior quarterback Dayton Humphreys was disqualified after receiving his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

In stepped Rodriguez, who took the reins in his first extended chance to lead the offense.

“He’s a humble competitor, he’s not one who’s always going to do a lot of talking, really step out there and yell,” Rickard said. “When he’s in there, though, he’s going to do everything he can to help us win, and we saw that. He willed us to victory. Just not going down, not going down. Again, it was doing something he’s not had much experience in at all. He’s a gamer and he understands football well enough to know how the parts move.”

Rickard, who said that the coming week will be spent instilling more options for the offense after Rodriguez completed a pair of passes for 24 yards, said he’s just fine heading into a home game Friday against Bowling Green (1-1) at 7 p.m., Friday, in the Wildcats’ Eastern Missouri Conference opener. The Bobcats will enter play after a 50-18 loss to Palmyra.

“Coming into the season, we knew he’d be our backup, if needed,” Rickard said. “We have a small package (of plays) for him, it’s not very big. We were pretty limited once he went in at quarterback. At halftime, we went to a package where we thought we could get pretty physical with him and have success running, and it worked out for us. He’s quick, shifty, and hard to tackle. You get him out into open space and force someone to make an arm tackle, or tackle up around the shoulders, more times than not, he’s going to bounce off and keep going.”

While Rodriguez helped Wright City build its lead and then hang on for victory, the Wildcats' defense also played a key role with a big defensive stop on fourth down by senior defensive lineman Ayden Dile and a key late interception by senior linebacker Quinn Schnarre as the defense allowed only a second-quarter touchdown to the Warriors, who also secured a safety on special teams.

In total, the defense added to the efforts of Rodriguez and the offense by collecting 14 quarterback hurries, including four from Dile. As well, the defense produced six key pass deflections.