Cody Hodges

Last updated
Cody Hodges
Personal information
Born: (1982-11-20) November 20, 1982 (age 41)
Amarillo, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school: Hereford (TX)
College: Texas Tech
Position:Quarterback
Undrafted: 2006
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Cody Hodges (born November 20, 1982) is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and former professional American football player, playing in the National Football League (NFL), Arena Football League (AFL), and the Arena League 2. Hodges is best known for his one season as the starting quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2005 season. As a fifth year Senior, he led the nation in passing and total offense and an appearance in the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic and a 9–3 overall record. He was the 3rd straight fifth year senior to start for Mike Leach and Texas Tech and was also the second of 4 West Texas natives to take the quarterback reins in the Leach era, along with predecessor Sonny Cumbie and successors Taylor Potts and Seth Doege.

Contents

High school and early years

Hodges was born to Steve and Sharon Hodges in Amarillo, Texas, and was raised in Hereford, Texas, located in the Texas Panhandle. Hodges played high school football at Hereford High School, where he was a 4-year letterman in football and a standout in basketball. He threw for 2,458 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2000 as a senior. He ended his prep career with a 22-4 record as starting quarterback and accounted for 70 touchdown passes and 6,500 passing yards over four years and ran for 30 touchdowns during that time. Hodges was also a two-time 3-4A District MVP. Hodges was named Amarillo Globe-News Newcomer of the Year in 1997, Amarillo Globe-News Player of the Year his Junior and Senior years, and was also named All-South Plains Player of the Year in 2000. He was named to the Second-team all-state in 1999. Hodges was named to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Top 100 players and was ranked by Lonestar.com as one of the top 100 quarterbacks in the nation. Despite his stellar high school career, Hodges was only offered scholarships by two FBS schools, Texas Tech University and The University of Wyoming. Hodges accepted a scholarship from Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

Early college career, 2001–2004

Hodges redshirted his first year at Texas Tech in 2001. He made his career debut against Baylor University as a redshirt Freshman in 2002, completing 1 pass for 10 yards. Hodges served as backup for 4 years, backing up Kliff Kingsbury, B. J. Symons, and Sonny Cumbie. Hodges moved up a slot in the depth chart every single year. From 2001-2004 Hodges appeared in 7 games, completing 8 passes out of 12 attempts for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns, completing 67 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 33 yards on 3 attempts.

2005 season

Hodges won the starting Quarterback job for the 2005 season, winning a hard fought battle over highly touted redshirt freshman Graham Harrell. He started out the year in stellar fashion, putting up big time numbers in blowout wins over Florida International University 56-3, Indiana State University 63-7, and Sam Houston State University 80-21. Hodges drew controversy after the win against SHSU by saying that he believed Tech's offense was good enough to "score 100 points." Big 12 play started and he led the Red Raiders to a win over Kansas 30-17. The Red Raiders then traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to play the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Huskers were playing on their homecoming day and were looking to take revenge for being humiliated by Tech the previous year in Lubbock by giving up 70 points. Hodges led the Raiders on a game-winning drive and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass on 4th down to win the game and snap Nebraska's 36 year homecoming winning streak. Hodges had a career day the next week as Tech beat Kansas State, 59-20. Hodges threw for 646 yards for a career best. After the big win against Nebraska and the career day against KSU, Hodges led the Red Raiders, ranked in the top 10 for the first time under Mike Leach, to Austin, Texas to face off with the eventual national champion Texas Longhorns led by Vince Young. Hodges had the Raiders in an early lead in Austin, but could not keep up the momentum as Tech suffered their first loss, 52-17. Tech rebounded with wins over rivals Baylor 28-0, and Texas A&M 56-17. Tech later lost on a BCS bowl bid by being upset by a 4 win Oklahoma State team, 24-17. The Raiders rebounded to defeat Oklahoma 23-21 in another close and exciting game with Hodges leading the Raiders on the final drive, giving the Red Raiders a regular season record of 9-2, and a Big 12 record of 6-2, giving them second place overall in the Big 12 and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl. Hodges finished the regular season first in the nation in passing, making him the 4th consecutive Tech QB to do so.

2006 Cotton Bowl Classic

Hodges led the 9-2 (6-2 in Big 12 play) Red Raiders, ranked #18 in the AP Poll and #1 in total offense, to the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic to play the #13 Alabama Crimson Tide, ranking #1 in scoring defense and #2 in total defense. [1] [2] Hodges, statistically, had his worst game as a starter, completing only 15 of 32 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He was also Tech's leading rusher, gaining 66 yards on 17 carries. [1] Texas Tech eventually lost 13-10 and ended the season with a 9–3 overall record and #20 in the AP Poll. Hodges finished his career at Tech completing 360 passes out of 543 attempts for 4,267 yards with 33 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 224 career yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Hodges was noted to be the best running quarterback Tech had, and also his passing form, in which he threw his passes without the aid of the laces of the Football.

Professional career

Tennessee Titans

Despite a successful 2005 season, Hodges went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. However, Hodges was signed by the Tennessee Titans. He came second to the top pick of the Tennessee Titans Vince Young and was Young's back-up at quarterback. Hodges performed well in the pre-season, but was released when the Titans signed Kerry Collins to back up Young.

Arena League

Hodges signed in 2006 as the quarterback for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of af2. He was traded in 2007, to the Fort Wayne Fusion. [3] Hodges was named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game during Week 1 of the af2 season for his performance against the Green Bay Blizzard. [4] He later ended his season due to injury. Despite a successful AFL career, Hodges retired from playing Football in 2008.

Rachel's Challenge work

Hodges, having viewed a presentation from Rachel's Challenge, an organization dedicated to abolishing prejudice and promoting kindness and good deeds, was inspired to join the organization as a speaker at age 20. After his professional football career ended, he joined Rachel's Challenge as a full-time motivational speaker and engaging in philanthropy on behalf of the organization as well. Hodges frequents smaller High Schools in rural towns across America to spread the message of kindness to others. [5]

Personal

Hodges is married, and lives in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, when not traveling the country with Rachel's challenge. His father played football at the University of Houston. He also has a twin brother, Slade Hodges, who played slot receiver for Texas Tech in the same years as his brother. Cody completed a 10-yard pass to his brother during the 2005 Texas Tech-Texas A&M game, and later watched from the sidelines as his brother caught a touchdown in the 4th quarter of the same game.

Related Research Articles

Sonny Jack Cumbie is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at Louisiana Tech University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Cumbie previously served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech University and was the interim head coach after the departure of Matt Wells in 2021. He also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Christian University (TCU). Cumbie played college football at Texas Tech and was the team's starting quarterback during the 2004 season, when he led the nation in passing and total offense and a guided the Red Raiders to win in the 2004 Holiday Bowl, earning MVP honors for the game. Cumbie played professionally in the Arena Football League (AFL), the Indoor Football League (IFL), and briefly in the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. J. Symons</span> American football player (born 1980)

Brian Jeffrey Symons is a former American football quarterback. Symons played professionally for the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), the Frankfurt Galaxy and Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe, and the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (AFL). He was originally selected by the Texans in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech where he was a record setting passer. Symons never played in a regular season NFL game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Harrell</span> American football player and coach (born 1985)

Graham Stanton Harrell is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Purdue Boilermakers. He played college football for Texas Tech Red Raiders from 2004 to 2008. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) from 2009 to 2013, with his longest tenure as a player with the Green Bay Packers. He served as the offensive coordinator of the North Texas Mean Green (2016–2018), USC Trojans (2019–2021) and the West Virginia Mountaineers (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 9–4 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the Big 12's South Division with Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. While all three teams had a matching 4–4 conference record, Tech had a better overall record of 9–4 compared to the Aggies and Cowboys, who both had a record of 7–6. Texas Tech was invited to the Gator Bowl, where they defeated Virginia. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 22 in the final AP Poll and No. 23 in the final Coaches Poll. The team played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 11–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, finishing in a three-way tie with Oklahoma and Texas atop the Big 12 South Division standing. To break the tie, the Bowl Championship Series BCS rankings were used to determine who would face Missouri in Big 12 Championship Game. Oklahoma, ranked No. 2 in the BCS poll, was chosen to represent the South Division in the game. Texas Tech was invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they lost to Ole Miss. The Red Raiders played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2004 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth season under head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 8–4 record with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, finished in a tie for third place in Southern Division of the Big 12, defeated California in the 2004 Holiday Bowl, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 434 to 314. The team played its home games at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2005 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth season under head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 9–3 record with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, finished in a tie for second place in Southern Division of the Big 12, lost to Alabama in the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 473 to 226. The team played its home games at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Potts</span> American football player (born 1987)

Taylor Potts is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Texas Tech, and was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He was waived during training camp, and then signed as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers in May 2012, where he was expected to compete for the third-string quarterback position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2009 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by tenth-year head coach Mike Leach during the regular season and, following Leach’s dismissal, interim head coach Ruffin McNeill for the bowl game. The Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 9–4 with a mrk of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the Big 12's South Division. Texas Tech was invited to the Alamo Bowl, where they defeated Michigan State, 41–31. The Red Raiders played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

The 2008 Big 12 Conference football season saw ties is both northern and southern divisions, with tiebreakers used to select divisional representatives for the 2008 Big 12 Championship Game, in which Oklahoma won 62–21 against Missouri to qualify for the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2010 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, the Red Raiders compiled and overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing fifth in the Big 12's South Division. Texas Tech was invited to the inaugural TicketCity Bowl, where they defeated Northwestern, 45–38. The team played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

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Seth Colton Doege is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd. After playing college football for Texas Tech University, he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2013. On February 27, 2014, he was signed to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. Doege was Texas Tech's starting quarterback for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by Tommy Tuberville in his third and final season as head coach the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark 4–5 conference play, placing in a four-way tie for fifth place in Big 12. Texas Tech was invited to the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, where they defeated Minnesota. The team played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium on the university's campus in Lubbock, Texas.

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References

  1. 1 2 George Watson. "Tide defense holds Tech in check". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal . Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  2. ↑ "Red Raiders Are Pickin' Cotton". Texas Tech Athletics. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  3. ↑ "Fusion Trades for QB". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. March 26, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ "First-year Fusion win first game, 38-26". af2.com. 2007-03-31. Retrieved 2007-03-31.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Rachel's Challenge Program Presenters". rachelschallenge.org. Archived from the original on 2009-07-11. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
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