Jason Rodriguez appreciates significance of wearing Anthony Muñoz's 77

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ADELANTO, Calif. -- Freshman offensive lineman Jason Rodriguez started to notice he was developing a following even before he officially arrived at USC this summer.

It stems in part from his heritage -- his mother's side of the family is Mexican-American while his father's is Puerto Rican -- and he's indulging it even further with his decision to wear No. 77 in honor of legendary USC offensive lineman and fellow Mexican-American Anthony Muñoz.

"It's crazy because when I go certain places they recognize me just because I'm Mexican," Rodriguez said, sitting with his family at their home last month prior to his move to campus.

He tells the story of a visit to Laguna Beach not long ago, where a police officer stopped him as he was leaving a Starbucks and waiting to cross the street.

"He goes, 'What's your name?' I go, 'Jason.' He goes, 'Your last name.' I go, 'Rodriguez.' He was like, 'Oh, OK,'" he recalled. "I was like, 'What do you mean, why?' He had a partner in the passenger seat and he was like, 'We know who you are, vato.' So when I go certain places, they recognize me."

USC, of course, has a rich history of standout players from Polynesian backgrounds, but there historically has not been a large representation of Mexican heritage on college football rosters. That goes for the professional football ranks as well, where Muñoz became the second Mexican-American inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With Rodriguez hoping to become an impactful offensive lineman for the Trojans, his preferred choice of number was easy. Muñoz, who wore No. 77 at USC (but 78 in the NFL) from 1976-79, went on to become the No. 3 overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft and an 11-time Pro Bowl selection with the Cincinnati Bengals.

"A lot of the fans, just from what I've heard, they kind of compared me to him [because of my background]. He's Mexican, I am too, I might as well take it," Rodriguez said.

Of course, the 4-star prospect from Oak Hills High School still has everything to prove on the field at the college level where Muñoz was one of the all-time greats.

But Muñoz has long been held up as a cultural sports icon -- as recently represented in a Modelo marketing campaign also featuring fellow former NFL standouts Tony Gonzalez and Roberto Garza -- and that connection is significant to Rodriguez.

"Even after practices I'd go to, there'd be a couple Mexicans who would go, 'Hey, can we take a picture?' It's cool to be recognized for that. I do [take pride in it] because there isn't a lot of Mexicans playing football, especially not from up here, so I feel like I'm representing a good thing in a way," he said.

Added his mother Angela Rodriguez: "What an honor to be able to follow [Muñoz]. He was a Hall of Famer, and now [Jason's] going to be able to wear that number as well. That's exciting."

All that said, Rodriguez's heritage isn't the only thing that has drawn him notice since he committed to and signed with USC. Whether it's patrons in Wal-Mart, the guy who fitted him for his tux this spring, etc., the 6-foot-6, 325-pound Trojans newcomer isn't hard to spot in a crowd.

As his father Scott Rodriguez put it succinctly, "He does stick out when he walks around in public."