Emma Kuhrt Rodriguez is a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot and the wife of Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
The couple married in July 2023 and have captured the hearts of fans during Texas Tech’s run to the College Football Playoff and a quarterfinal matchup with the Oregon Ducks.
While Jacob Rodriguez leads the Red Raiders‘ defense as the 2025 Butkus Award winner and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Emma Rodriguez serves her country flying medevac helicopters at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Here’s what you need to know about Jacob Rodriguez’s wife Emma Rodriguez:
1. Emma Rodriguez Is a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot Stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas
Emma Rodriguez is an aviator with the Charlie 2-1 medevac unit at Fort Riley, Kansas, according to the Santa Maria Times. She flies Black Hawk helicopters weekly, logging 4-6 hours per trip, and serves as a platoon leader overseeing 20 soldiers within an 80-person company.
Her military career began after she graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2023, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, according to her LinkedIn profile. During her time at West Point, she rose to the prestigious position of First Regiment Cadet Command Sergeant Major.
“I feel like Jacob worries a lot more about me just because of the job that I have,” Emma told ESPN during the 2025 season. “My job is not easy.” Despite the dangerous nature of Black Hawk operations, Emma balances her military duties with supporting her husband’s historic football season, often making the grueling 9-hour drive from Fort Riley to Lubbock for Texas Tech home games.
2. Emma Kuhrt & Jacob Rodriguez Met Through Church as Teenagers in Wichita Falls, Texas
The couple’s love story began at First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, where both were members of the Oneighty youth group, according to the Dallas Morning News. They met at summer camp during the organization’s “Beach Week” after Emma’s junior year and Jacob’s freshman year of high school.
“I knew how to throw a football,” Emma Rodriguez told The Dallas Morning News. “But it was really cute because Jacob was throwing a football, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, teach me how to throw a football.’ That’s how we met.” While Emma attended Wichita Falls High School, Jacob was at rival S.H. Rider High School, but their shared community and church brought them together.
Emma Rodriguez grew up as the self-described “tomboy” in a family with four daughters. Her father introduced her to sports early and taught her how to mow the lawn when she was 6 years old. Her interest in the military developed after she attended a leadership camp in middle school where she learned about West Point.
“My parents thought, whenever they had four girls, that they’d missed the Army,” Emma Rodriguez told the newspaper. “Joke’s on them.”
3. They Surprised Everyone by Turning Their Engagement Party Into Their Wedding in July 2023
Jacob and Emma Rodriguez were married on July 1, 2023, in Willis, Texas, according to their social media profiles. The couple planned an engagement celebration, inviting family and friends to what they believed would be a party to announce their upcoming nuptials. Instead, they transformed the engagement party into their actual wedding ceremony that evening, surprising everyone in attendance.
The wedding came after a long-distance relationship that spanned six years. When both reached college, the couple briefly broke up. Emma Rodriguez had just taken the oath of affirmation at West Point, while Jacob Rodriguez had begun his college football career at Virginia. He later transferred to Texas Tech after one season at Virginia.
“One thing that we always talk about is that the breakup that we had is the best thing for our relationship possible,” Emma told The Dallas Morning News. “It allowed us to make our own life decisions.”
After reuniting, the couple navigated the challenges of a long-distance relationship, with Jacob playing football in Lubbock and Emma completing her military training, first at Fort Novosel in Alabama for flight school and later at Fort Riley.
4. Emma Rodriguez Ran Jacob’s Heisman Trophy Campaign on Social Media & Has Driven His National Profile
Emma Rodriguez has become the driving force behind her husband’s national recognition, actively campaigning for his Heisman Trophy candidacy on social media. Her posts have helped elevate Jacob’s profile from a relatively unknown walk-on to one of college football’s most celebrated players.
“I think she’s the coolest,” Jacob Rodriguez told The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t get on Instagram or Twitter much, but she’ll call me and tell me what she said, and I’m like, ‘You don’t have to put that out there.’ She loves it.”
Emma Rodriguez has been unapologetic about her barrage of daily praise for her husband on her timeline, posting directives for fans to vote for her husband in the Heisman fan poll and retweeting support from Red Raiders fan accounts.
While Jacob Rodriguez was not named a Heisman Trophy finalist, despite winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, Emma Rodriguez rallied Texas Tech fans on social media ahead of the Oregon game in the CFB Playoff. “Red Raider Nation, I cannot thank you enough for your love and support, especially these last couple of weeks,” she wrote. “Because of y’all, the world knows about Jacob and for that, I am forever grateful. We are not done yet. See y’all on January 1st.”
5. Jacob Rodriguez Wrote About His Wife, ‘I Wouldn’t Be the Person I Am Without Her’
Jacob and Emma Rodriguez have used their growing platform to give back. Ahead of the 2025 Big 12 Championship game, the couple announced a new philanthropic partnership with Premier Auto Group of Texas and Randon Blacklock to serve military and veteran families.
“Jacob and I are thrilled to announce our partnership … in an effort to serve the military community!” Emma posted on Instagram. The project will honor and support local military families and veterans through community events and direct assistance.
The husband and wife have supported each other’s dreams over their years together.
“I went to West Point, I now fly helicopters, that was my dream and I did it,” Emma Rodriguez told the Santa Maria Times. “Let’s go have yours. You now have the opportunity to go do this. Let’s do it. I’ve done my dream, let’s go do yours.”
Jacob Rodriguez told the newspaper, “Dude, she’s the best. I love her with my whole heart. I wouldn’t be the person I am without her.”
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