No. 50, 51, 54 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born: | Woodbury, New Jersey, U.S. | January 17, 1991|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight: | 236 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High school: | Paulsboro (Paulsboro, New Jersey) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College: | Penn State (2009–2012) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2013 / round: 4 / pick: 120 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gerald Davon Hodges Jr. (born January 17, 1991) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Penn State. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round, 120th overall, of the 2013 NFL draft. Contents
Early lifeA native of Paulsboro, New Jersey, Hodges attended Paulsboro High School, [1] where he lettered in football, wrestling and track. He played mainly as a quarterback and safety on the Red Raiders football team, but also saw time as a return specialist. [2] As a senior, he recorded 61 tackles and grabbed one interception on defense; whilst on offense, he ran for 705 yards on 99 carries and threw for 695 yards and 10 touchdowns, playing a key role in helping Paulsboro win two South Jersey Group I titles and four Colonial Conference Patriot Division championships. He was selected first-team All-South Jersey and first-team All-Conference after his junior and senior seasons. During high school, Hodges was also a captain of both the wrestling and track and field teams. As a wrestler, he finished third in the state with a 40–1 record as a junior. [3] In track & field, he competed as a member of the relay squads, recording personal-best times of 43.84 seconds in the 4 × 100m and 1:32.58 minutes in the 4 × 200m at the 2007 South Jersey Relays. [4] He was also timed at 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Despite having played safety and quarterback in high school, Hodges was rated as the No. 4 overall outside linebacker in the nation by Scout.com. He was recruited heavily by Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden. He originally committed to Rutgers, but switched his commitment from Rutgers to the Nittany Lions on December 12, 2008. He also had scholarship offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Iowa, among others. [5]
College careerWhile attending Pennsylvania State University, Hodges played for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team from 2009 to 2012. Hodges saw limited action on defense his true freshman year, but was a significant contributor on special teams, playing in all 13 games and delivering three tackles. He started the year as a safety, but moved to linebacker partway through the year. [6] In 2010, Hodges was injured on the first play of the game against Alabama. He missed the next four games before coming back with a vengeance against Minnesota and Michigan, games in which he recorded two and three tackles respectively. He ended the year recording at least four tackles in each of the team's final three games. [6] Hodges enjoyed a breakout season in 2011 in which he led the team by recording 106 tackles. [7] He also recorded 10 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception which he returned 63 yards against Northwestern. [6] In wake of the NCAA sanctions that stemmed from the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, Hodges had the opportunity to transfer, but he ultimately chose to remain loyal to Penn State. Hodges attributed his loyalty to Penn State to his Christian faith. He said, "Every day I wake up and thank God because we could have just been forgotten about. God puts people in my life that are going to help me no matter the situation. He's put coaches in my life that are going to help me out and further my career. Everything, it seems, is working out for the better. I know it might not seem like that ... but when you look deeper and deeper into bowl games and championships, (God) did this for a reason." [2] Coming into the 2012 season, Hodges was named a preseason first-team All-American by Lindy's College Football Preview as well as first-team All Big Ten. [8] New coach Bill O'Brien briefly toyed with the idea of using Hodges as a kick returner during the team's first game against the Ohio Bobcats, but stopped after Hodges muffed a punt. [9] In the third game of the year against Navy, Hodges recorded an interception to go along with five tackles. [10] Hodges enjoyed his best game of the season on October 6 against Northwestern when he recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble. [11] Hodges had another excellent game on November 17 against Indiana in which he recorded 12 tackles and a diving interception. [12] [13] It was announced after Penn State's last game that Hodges had been named second-team All-Big Ten. Professional careerPre-draftPrior to the draft, NFL.com graded Hodges at 72/100, listing him as a second to third round pick who should be an eventual starter in the NFL and compared him to former linebacker Quincy Black, who was drafted in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report considered Hodges a fifth-round pick, while NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr. graded him as a possible third-rounder. CBS Sports had Hodges ranked as the 17th-best linebacker prospect in the draft. At the NFL Combine, Hodges completed 22 reps on the weight bench at 225 pounds (13th best among linebackers).
Minnesota VikingsHodges was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round, with the 120th overall pick of the 2013 NFL draft. [16] Hodges signed a four-year, $2.515 million deal with the Vikings on May 14, 2013. [17] After the signing of Jasper Brinkley, Hodges and Brinkley switched jerseys. Due to the injury of Anthony Barr, Hodges was able to have a breakout season topping his rookie seasons. He ended his 2014 season with 66 combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, an interception for a touchdown, and 7 pass deflections. San Francisco 49ersOn October 6, 2015, the Vikings traded Hodges to the San Francisco 49ers for center Nick Easton and a sixth round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. [18] In 2016, Hodges played in 15 games with 12 starts, recording career-highs of 83 tackles, 3 sacks, and two interceptions. Buffalo BillsOn May 25, 2017, Hodges signed with the Buffalo Bills. [19] He was released on September 3, 2017. [20] New Orleans SaintsOn October 11, 2017, Hodges signed with the New Orleans Saints. [21] He was released by the Saints on February 27, 2018. [22] Arizona CardinalsOn August 13, 2018, Hodges signed with the Arizona Cardinals. [23] He played in 16 games with six starts, finishing sixth on the team with 55 tackles. RetirementOn April 6, 2019, Hodges announced his retirement from the NFL. [24] In May 2019, Hodges announced on his Twitter account that he wanted to play again. NFL career statistics
Related Research ArticlesDontarrious Dewayne Thomas is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. Brandon Darrell Short is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning consensus All-American honors in 1999. He played professionally for the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers of the NFL, and was a member the Giants' team that played in Super Bowl XXXV. He is currently Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Round Hill Capital in London and a member of the Pennsylvania State University's board of trustees. Chad Greenway is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 11-year career as a linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. Daniel Murphy Connor is an American football coach and a former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. He played college football at Penn State University, where he is currently a defensive analyst. Sean Patrick Lee is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls and the 2016 All-Pro Team. NaVorro Roderick Bowman is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently the linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. Bowman was also a member of the Oakland Raiders. Joshua Lynn Hull is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football for Penn State. Tyrone McKenzie is an American football coach and former linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He debuted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010 and also played for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at South Florida. Travis Lewis is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round, 223rd overall of the 2012 NFL draft. He also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2016 offseason. Jasper Jerrell Brinkley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of South Carolina. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. Michael D. Mauti is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints. Tahir Ali Whitehead is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Temple University, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. Jordan Thomas Hill is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Austin Hunter Johnson is an American professional football defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Eric-Nathan Marvin Kendricks is an American professional football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. As a senior in 2014, he won the Butkus Award as the nation's top collegiate linebacker. Kendricks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft and later played for the Los Angeles Chargers. Adrian Gerald Amos Jr. is an American professional football safety who is a free agent. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Houston Texans. Marcus Deshawn Allen is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Penn State. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Troy Steven Apke is an American former professional football safety and cornerback. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers player Steve Apke. Troy Daniel Reeder is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State and Delaware. John Earl Reid is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football at Penn State. References
External linksThis page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses. |