From an unlikely NFL quarterback to a country music power couple and a growing lifestyle brand, Devlin “Duck” Hodges has never followed a conventional path.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, FCS record-breaker, and world-champion duck caller joins Sudu on the latest episode of Game Runs Deep with Sudu Upadhyay, presented by Club Country, for a wide-ranging conversation about football, fame, family, and finding purpose beyond the game.
Hodges opens up about his unforgettable run in Pittsburgh, his relationship with country music superstar Lainey Wilson, and the entrepreneurial journey behind Club Country. Along the way, he shares hilarious stories from his playing days, reflects on the challenges of leaving football behind, and even breaks out the duck call that helped make him a world champion.
The Making of Duck Mania
Before becoming a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, Hodges was rewriting the record books at Samford University.
The Alabama native won the Walter Payton Award and broke Steve McNair’s all-time FCS passing record, but those accomplishments weren’t enough to earn him a selection in the NFL Draft.
Instead, Hodges entered the league through a rookie minicamp tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His confidence, however, was never in question.
After attending the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp, Hodges was asked by Steelers coaches about Daniel Jones, whom the Giants had selected sixth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
His response?
“I don’t think he’s $30 million better than me.”
Hodges laughs about the exchange during the episode, explaining that he wanted to make an impression on Pittsburgh’s coaching staff and demonstrate that he belonged in the NFL.
That confidence eventually helped propel him from an undrafted rookie to an NFL starting quarterback.
When injuries opened the door during the 2019 season, Hodges stepped into the spotlight and helped spark the phenomenon known as “Duck Mania.”
Steelers fans embraced the unlikely quarterback, turning him into a cult hero whose popularity has endured long after his playing career.
Hodges believes his underdog story and blue-collar personality made him a natural fit for Pittsburgh.
And in perhaps the most Duck Hodges move imaginable, after winning his first NFL start, he spent the Steelers’ bye week duck hunting in Canada.
Finding Love with Lainey Wilson
Football might have introduced Hodges to a national audience, but his relationship with country music superstar Lainey Wilson brought an entirely different level of attention.
Hodges jokes that Wilson likes to remind him he’s the only person she knows who has gotten famous twice.
During the conversation, he shares how their relationship began after he heard Wilson’s music on the radio and became intrigued by her Southern roots and love of the outdoors.
After discovering they had mutual friends, Hodges found a way to ask her on a date.
He also recalls a moment that made him believe their relationship might be something special: arriving at Wilson’s house and seeing several deer running through her front yard.
For an avid outdoorsman, that was a pretty good sign.
The couple kept their relationship private for several years, something Hodges says was important as he transitioned away from football and Wilson’s music career continued to grow.
Now married, the two have learned to navigate life in the public eye while supporting each other’s ambitions.
Hodges also shares what it’s like hearing songs inspired by their relationship and reflects on some of the surreal experiences that have come with Wilson’s success, including spending Christmas with Snoop Dogg.
Life After Football: Finding the Next Mountain
While Hodges looks back fondly on his NFL career, he acknowledges that walking away from football wasn’t easy.
After spending most of his life competing, the transition into a new career brought uncertainty.
Hodges describes the first year or so after football as one of the lowest periods of his life, largely because he struggled to figure out what he wanted to pursue next.
He compares the experience to climbing a mountain, reaching the summit, and then having to discover an entirely new mountain worth climbing.
It’s a challenge he believes many former athletes face, especially those whose identities have been tied to sports since childhood.
For Hodges, that next chapter eventually brought him back to the interests that shaped his childhood: hunting, the outdoors, and Southern culture.
Building Club Country
Today, Hodges is channeling his competitive spirit into entrepreneurship as the founder of Club Country.
The lifestyle brand brings together hunting, fishing, golf, country music, and the camaraderie that comes with Southern outdoor culture.
But Hodges emphasizes that Club Country isn’t exclusively for hunters or outdoorsmen.
His vision is to create a brand that welcomes anyone who identifies with the lifestyle, whether they spend their weekends in a duck blind, on a golf course, or simply enjoying country music with friends.
During the episode, Hodges discusses the brand’s early growth, its connection to amateur golfer Ryder Cowan, and his excitement about expanding Club Country’s reach.
For someone who once dreamed of making enough money in the NFL to buy a truck and a duck hunting cabin, building a business around the lifestyle he loves feels like a natural next step.
Yes, Duck Hodges Still Has the Duck Call
Of course, no conversation with a former world-champion duck caller would be complete without a demonstration.
Hodges explains how he first became interested in competitive duck calling, winning his first contest as a child before eventually capturing a world junior championship.
He also breaks down the different types of calls used to communicate with ducks and the skill required to compete at the highest level.
Then, in one of the episode’s most memorable moments, he pulls out his duck call and gives Sudu a live demonstration.
It’s a fitting reminder that long before Duck Mania took over Pittsburgh, Duck Hodges was already making a name for himself in an entirely different arena.
From the football field to the duck blind, and now to marriage and entrepreneurship, Hodges continues to embrace every chapter of an extraordinary journey.
