Steelers QB Devlin Hodges taking 'Duck-mania' in stride
Duckmania is in full flight, and the instigator of this cultural phenomenon is well aware of the impact he is making with Steelers Nation.
Fans are wearing duck hats and costumes to home games. A petition is circulating to bring the giant, yellow rubber duck back to the three rivers. An appearance at the Pitt basketball game Tuesday night led to an extended ovation when he was shown on the scoreboard.
Devlin Hodges is taking it all in stride.
“If you’d have asked me five or six years ago when I first got the name, I’d have thought this is wild, a quarterback named Duck, but now it’s cool,” Hodges said Wednesday.
Hodges is the feel-good story of the Steelers, if not the NFL. The undrafted free agent from FCS Samford, a champion duck caller who was signed out of a tryout and released at the end of training camp, is 2-0 as an NFL starter and a reason the Steelers remain in the playoff picture at 7-5.
Because of his underdog story and that catchy (or is it quacky?) nickname, Hodges has become a fan favorite and burgeoning social media sensation. A video of Hodges riding in a car with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on the Steelers’ day off Tuesday has approached nearly 250,000 views on Twitter.
As long as the Steelers keep winning — they play at 3-8-1 Arizona on Sunday — expect Duckmania to keep flying high.
“It’s something that has caught on, something I’ve kind of embraced,” Hodges said. “It’s awesome to have the fans come up and say, ‘Hey, Duck, what’s up?’ When people call me Devlin, it catches me by surprise. ‘Do you know me that good?’ It’s cool. It’s unique and fits who I am.”
The foundation was set in October when Hodges, replacing a concussed Mason Rudolph, made his first NFL start at the Los Angeles Chargers. He wore a Donald Duck T-shirt with the words “I’m the boss” emblazoned on it during pregame warmups, and a few fans showed up to the game with duck calls.
“I kind of expected it coming back to Heinz Field,” Hodges said, referencing his home debut as a starter Sunday against Cleveland. “It’s cool, unique, something I can look back and smile about.”
Hodges was the big man on campus when he was a record-setting passer at Samford, winning the FCS equivalent of the Heisman Trophy as a senior, but the attention was modest by comparison.
“For the most part, I would say the students called me Duck more than Devlin,” he said. “But it was a different atmosphere. We played before 8-10,000 fans maybe.”
Hodges said it hasn’t been difficult to remain grounded playing in a city that has showered him with celebrity status.
“It goes back to who I am, being the person I am,” he said. “I’m a laid-back guy. I like to come in each and every day and be prepared and have fun. This is football. It’s my job, but at the same time there’s a good balance to have between having fun and getting prepared for the game.”
One of the perks Hodges has enjoyed is free duck-hunting apparel from manufacturers. He wore a brown cap that promoted a duck and goose hunting outfitter company to his postgame news conference not realizing it violated NFL rules. He quickly removed it when informed by team personnel.
Other than that, Hodges said he hasn’t changed since his unlikely ascent to NFL starter.
“I’m still Duck,” he said. “I’m still the person I was a month ago.”
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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