Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers undrafted quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges had a storybook-like season in 2019. Hodges made the team via a rookie tryout in the spring and ended up starting six games, and he played pretty well until the wheels fell off in the last three games. “Duckmania” ended after that and Hodges’ career fizzled out.
2019 was Hodges’ only NFL season, but the memories will last forever.
“I would probably say when we played the Browns at home,” Hodges said when asked about his favorite memory with the Steelers on 93.7 The Fan. “Take touchdowns, take all of that out of it. I think there was a moment in the fourth quarter when the stadium started chanting ‘Duck’. I’m like, this is pretty cool. This is like my Rudy moment.”
Hodges threw for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 20–13 win over the Browns in Week 13 at Heinz Field. The win came on the heels of the Myles Garrett-Mason Rudolph incident in Cleveland, so the Steelers were fired up to get payback on their arch rivals.
During the interview, Hodges also reflected on playing for Mike Tomlin and taking advantage of his opportunity in 2019.
“Coach Tomlin, he’s the man,” Hodges stated. “I mean, what y’all hear him say (it), that’s what he believes in. Yeah, next man up. It’s, ‘Hey, next man up, and if you don’t get the job done, we’ll find somebody else to do it.'”
Hodges’ and his longtime girlfriend, country music star Lainey Wilson, got engaged in February.
“4x4xU forever,” Wilson wrote in an Instagram post that shared photos of their big news and a video of Wilson showing off her engagement ring.
Hodges, 28, spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Steelers, playing in eight games and starting six when Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph were both injured in 2019.
The Steelers chose not to re-sign him after he did not appear during the 2020 season. Hodges spent the 2021 offseason with the Los Angeles Rams, but was waived in August. He then signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League. He played in four games with Ottawa at the end of the 2022 before announcing his retirement from football.
“I’d like to thank the REDBLACKS for bringing me to Ottawa and giving me this opportunity,” Hodges said in a statement released by the team. “I have gained a lot of respect for the CFL and its fans – particularly RNation! I’m excited to see what the future holds but I know that the next chapter in my life is going to be fun.”
Hodges joined the Steelers out of FCS Samford in 2019. With the Bulldogs, he was a Walter Payton Award winner as the best offensive player in FCS, he was a three-time Southern Conference player of the year and he set the NCAA FCS career passing yards record with 14,584.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: [Devlin Hodges Reveals Favorite...
