Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez pleads guilty to DUI charge

Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez accepted a guilty plea during a Tuesday pre-trial conference stemming from a May DUI arrest.

According to the Herald-Leader, Rodriguez plead guilty to operating a motor vehicle under the influence. He must pay a $200 fine plus over $700 in court costs by Dec. 13. Rodriguez’s license will be suspended for 4-6 months and he is expected to take an alcohol education class.

Rodriguez was pulled over in the early morning hours of May 8 on Nicholasville Road near Alumni Drive. The arrest citation notes that his vehicle was “not maintaining its designated operating lane” and he later admitted to consuming alcohol. There was also an alcoholic odor emitting from the vehicle, the citation reads.

Chris Rodriguez has rushed for 2,739 yards and 10 touchdowns during his decorated Kentucky career, including the game-winning score in the Wildcats’ 20-17 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. In 2021 he had the fifth-best rushing season in school history, gaining 1,379 yards on the ground. The McDonough, Georgia native ranked second in the SEC in rushing and had nine 100-yard rushing games, a new school record.

Likely Kentucky’s only preseason first team All-SEC selection this summer, the University of Kentucky has not yet revealed if and when he will miss games for disciplinary purposes in 2022.