Abdul Hodge
Encyclopedia
Abdul Raheeda Hodge is an American football
linebacker
and a member of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League
.He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Iowa
.
and attended Boyd Anderson High School (the same school as college teammate offensive lineman David Walker) where he won
four letters in football, two in track
, and one in basketball
. In football, he was a three year starter, a three time team captain.
As a junior
, he was a first team All-County honoree and a third team All-State.
As a senior
, Hodge played linebacker for a 9-3 team that reached the state semi-finals. he was selected as an All-American by SuperPrep, First-team All-State and All-Conference. He was also named Broward County MVP on defense. Team had a 22-10 record during his last three years
In his career, Hodge recorded a total of 308 career tackles, 22 sacks and six interceptions. He also had eight fumble recoveries and fumbles turned for touchdowns. He had over 100 tackles in each of his final three prep seasons. Hodge's best time of 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
and was a member of the National Honor Society
. He was also one of five seniors selected to the 2005 Leadership Council.
As a freshman in 2001, Hodge red-shirted for the season.
In 2002, Hodge played in all 13 games. He recorded three solo tackles and three assists in opening week win over Akron
. He played on special teams against Iowa State
but had no statistics. He had two solo tackles and two assists in win over Utah State. Hodge had one assists in win at Penn State
. He had six solo tackles and two assists in win over Purdue
. Hodge recorded one solo tackle in win over Michigan State
. He recorded two solo tackles in win at Indiana
. Hodge recorded five solo tackles in win at Michigan
. He saw action in win over Wisconsin
, primarily on special teams, but had no statistics. Hodge had five solo tackles in win over Northwestern
, including one quarterback sack and a quarterback pressure. He saw action in win at Minnesota
, however had no statistics. Hodge recorded four solo tackles and two assists against USC in Orange Bowl
.
In 2003, Hodge started all 13 games of the season at middle linebacker. He recorded five solo tackles and two assists in opening week win over Miami, OH
, including one tackle for loss. He recorded five solo tackles in win over Buffalo
, including one quarterback sack
. Hodge recorded 10 solo tackles and five assists in win at Iowa State, he also had three tackles for loss and one quarterback sack and caused a fumble. Hodge recorded eight solo tackles and seven assists in win over Arizona State. He recorded six solo tackles, one assist and one tackle for loss at Michigan State. Hodge then recorded three solo tackles and 10 assists in win over Michigan. He recorded eight solo tackles and eight assists for career high 16 tackles at Ohio State
, he also had two tackles for loss and a pass break-up. Hodge recorded five solo tackles in win over Penn State, he also had a 47-yard fumble return and had one pass break-up. He recorded seven solo tackles and two assists in win over Illinois
and had a fumble recovery for the second straight game. Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and four assists at Purdue, including one tackle for a loss of four yards. He recorded nine solo tackles, seven assists and one pass break-up in win over Minnesota. Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and seven assists in win at Wisconsin
. He recorded four solo tackles and four assists in Outback Bowl
win over Florida
.
In 2004, Hodge started all 12 games at linebacker. His season totals included 116 tackles, including 79 solo and 37 assists, he also had 4.5 tackles for loss and three QB sacks, four pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
In the opening week win over Kent State
, Hodge recorded two solo tackles and a forced fumble. In the win over Iowa State
, Hodge led team with 12 total tackles, including eight solo. At Arizona State Hodge recorded seven solo tackles to reach 200 for his career. At Michigan
he recorded 10 tackles, including seven solo and three assists, along with one recovered fumble. In win over Michigan State
, Hodge recorded 12 tackles, including six solo and six assists, along with one pass break-up. In win over Ohio State
, he led the team with 12 tackles, including nine solo, and added one tackle for loss and one pass break-up. In win at Penn State, Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and four assists, and with one pass break-up. In the win at Illinois, Hodge recorded three solo tackles, six assists and one pass break-up. In the win over Purdue
, he recorded six solo tackles, one assist and one quarterback pressure. In win at Minnesota
, Hodge recorded eight tackles, including seven solo, he also had one tackle for loss and recovered one fumble, his second of the season. In the win over Wisconsin to clinch a share of the Big Ten title, Hodge led the team with 11 tackles, including seven solo. Hodge set a Capital One Bowl
record in 2005 with 16 tackles against LSU
.
In 2005, Hodge was named to several pre-season awards watchlists, including: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
watch list, the Lott Trophy watch list, the Dick Butkus Award
watch list, the Bednarik Award
watch list. He was also named first team defensive All-America by Phil Steele's College Football Preview, second team All-America by Athlon Sports, second team All-America by Rivals.com
, third team All-America by Nationalchamps.net, No. 4 inside linebacker by The Sporting News
, first team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports, first team All-Big Ten by collegefootballnews.com, first team All-Big Ten by Rivals.com, sixth best player in Big Ten by collegefootballnews.com, and third team All-America by collegesportsreport.com.
For 2005, Hodge was listed as first the team linebacker following spring practice. Hodge started at linebacker in opening week win over Ball State
. He recorded two tackles while seeing limited action. Hodge, started at linebacker at Iowa State
. He tied for team lead at ISU with 13 tackles, including 12 solo and one tackle for loss. Hodge started at linebacker in win over Northern Iowa Panthers
, recording 16 tackles, including seven solo, and one recovered fumble. At Ohio State, Hodge recorded four solo tackles, five assists and a forced fumble. In the win over Illinois he recorded a career-best 18 tackles, including 11 solo, to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the week honors. He also had three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. At Purdue he recorded two solo tackles and two assists, with one tackle for loss. Against Indiana he recorded 11 solo tackles and seven assists, with one tackle for loss. Against Michigan, Hodge recorded 20 tackles, including 14 solo, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble. At Northwestern
Hodge led team with 12 tackles, including six solo, one tackle for loss and one QB pressure. At Wisconsin, Hodge recorded three solo tackles and five assists, including two tackles for loss. Against Minnesota Hodge recorded 13 solo tackles and six assists. Against Florida in the 2006 Outback Bowl
, Hodge set an Iowa bowl record and Outback Bowl
record with 19 tackles, including 14 solo, he also had one tackle for loss.
Hodges 158 total tackles in 2005 ranks second best at Iowa for a single season.
While at Iowa, he led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation in tackles per game, ranked third in the nation in solo tackles per game, tied for fifth in the Big Ten in forced fumble
s, and tied for ninth in recovered fumbles. Hodege ranks third in career tackles with 453.
in the 3rd round (67th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a fumble recovery during his first career start against the Seattle Seahawks
on November 27, 2006.
In 2007, Hodge was placed on injured reserve
due to a knee injury. Hodge changed his number from 55 to his old college number of 52. He underwent surgery on both knees in an attempt to return to the club in 2008
.
Hodge was cut by the Packers on August 30, 2008 during final cuts.
on September 16, 2008. On October 3, he was promoted to the active roster after the team waived cornerback
Simeon Castille
. Hodge appeared in six games for the Bengals, recording three tackles, before being placed on injured reserve
with an arm injury on November 17.
for the University of Northern Iowa
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and a member of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Early years
When he was young, Hodge lived in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
and attended Boyd Anderson High School (the same school as college teammate offensive lineman David Walker) where he won
four letters in football, two in track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and one in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. In football, he was a three year starter, a three time team captain.
As a junior
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
, he was a first team All-County honoree and a third team All-State.
As a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
, Hodge played linebacker for a 9-3 team that reached the state semi-finals. he was selected as an All-American by SuperPrep, First-team All-State and All-Conference. He was also named Broward County MVP on defense. Team had a 22-10 record during his last three years
In his career, Hodge recorded a total of 308 career tackles, 22 sacks and six interceptions. He also had eight fumble recoveries and fumbles turned for touchdowns. He had over 100 tackles in each of his final three prep seasons. Hodge's best time of 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
College career
Hodge attended the University of Iowa, where he majored in communication studiesCommunication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
and was a member of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
. He was also one of five seniors selected to the 2005 Leadership Council.
As a freshman in 2001, Hodge red-shirted for the season.
In 2002, Hodge played in all 13 games. He recorded three solo tackles and three assists in opening week win over Akron
Akron Zips football
The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football...
. He played on special teams against Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
but had no statistics. He had two solo tackles and two assists in win over Utah State. Hodge had one assists in win at Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. He had six solo tackles and two assists in win over Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
. Hodge recorded one solo tackle in win over Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
. He recorded two solo tackles in win at Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
. Hodge recorded five solo tackles in win at Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
. He saw action in win over Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, primarily on special teams, but had no statistics. Hodge had five solo tackles in win over Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
, including one quarterback sack and a quarterback pressure. He saw action in win at Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
, however had no statistics. Hodge recorded four solo tackles and two assists against USC in Orange Bowl
2003 Orange Bowl
The 2003 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the USC Trojans on January 2, 2003, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. USC won the game, 38–17...
.
In 2003, Hodge started all 13 games of the season at middle linebacker. He recorded five solo tackles and two assists in opening week win over Miami, OH
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
, including one tackle for loss. He recorded five solo tackles in win over Buffalo
Buffalo Bulls football
The Buffalo Bulls football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University at Buffalo located in the U.S. state of New York. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo's first...
, including one quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. Hodge recorded 10 solo tackles and five assists in win at Iowa State, he also had three tackles for loss and one quarterback sack and caused a fumble. Hodge recorded eight solo tackles and seven assists in win over Arizona State. He recorded six solo tackles, one assist and one tackle for loss at Michigan State. Hodge then recorded three solo tackles and 10 assists in win over Michigan. He recorded eight solo tackles and eight assists for career high 16 tackles at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, he also had two tackles for loss and a pass break-up. Hodge recorded five solo tackles in win over Penn State, he also had a 47-yard fumble return and had one pass break-up. He recorded seven solo tackles and two assists in win over Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and had a fumble recovery for the second straight game. Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and four assists at Purdue, including one tackle for a loss of four yards. He recorded nine solo tackles, seven assists and one pass break-up in win over Minnesota. Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and seven assists in win at Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
. He recorded four solo tackles and four assists in Outback Bowl
2004 Outback Bowl
The 2004 Outback Bowl featured the Florida Gators, and the Iowa Hawkeyes.Florida appeared to come out of the gates swinging, with quarterback Chris Leak throwing a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kelvin Kight to take an early 7-0 lead. Iowa got on the board following a 3 yard touchdown pass...
win over Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
In 2004, Hodge started all 12 games at linebacker. His season totals included 116 tackles, including 79 solo and 37 assists, he also had 4.5 tackles for loss and three QB sacks, four pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
In the opening week win over Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State University's intercollegiate athletic teams are known as the Golden Flashes or simply as the Flashes. The university fields sixteen varsity athletic teams, all of whom play in the Mid-American Conference and in the NCAA's Division I...
, Hodge recorded two solo tackles and a forced fumble. In the win over Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
, Hodge led team with 12 total tackles, including eight solo. At Arizona State Hodge recorded seven solo tackles to reach 200 for his career. At Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
he recorded 10 tackles, including seven solo and three assists, along with one recovered fumble. In win over Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, Hodge recorded 12 tackles, including six solo and six assists, along with one pass break-up. In win over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, he led the team with 12 tackles, including nine solo, and added one tackle for loss and one pass break-up. In win at Penn State, Hodge recorded seven solo tackles and four assists, and with one pass break-up. In the win at Illinois, Hodge recorded three solo tackles, six assists and one pass break-up. In the win over Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, he recorded six solo tackles, one assist and one quarterback pressure. In win at Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as...
, Hodge recorded eight tackles, including seven solo, he also had one tackle for loss and recovered one fumble, his second of the season. In the win over Wisconsin to clinch a share of the Big Ten title, Hodge led the team with 11 tackles, including seven solo. Hodge set a Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
record in 2005 with 16 tackles against LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
.
In 2005, Hodge was named to several pre-season awards watchlists, including: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
watch list, the Lott Trophy watch list, the Dick Butkus Award
Dick Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
watch list, the Bednarik Award
Chuck Bednarik Award
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States...
watch list. He was also named first team defensive All-America by Phil Steele's College Football Preview, second team All-America by Athlon Sports, second team All-America by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, third team All-America by Nationalchamps.net, No. 4 inside linebacker by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, first team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports, first team All-Big Ten by collegefootballnews.com, first team All-Big Ten by Rivals.com, sixth best player in Big Ten by collegefootballnews.com, and third team All-America by collegesportsreport.com.
For 2005, Hodge was listed as first the team linebacker following spring practice. Hodge started at linebacker in opening week win over Ball State
Ball State Cardinals
Ball State University's athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid-American Conference and located in Muncie, Indiana...
. He recorded two tackles while seeing limited action. Hodge, started at linebacker at Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
. He tied for team lead at ISU with 13 tackles, including 12 solo and one tackle for loss. Hodge started at linebacker in win over Northern Iowa Panthers
Northern Iowa Panthers
The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
, recording 16 tackles, including seven solo, and one recovered fumble. At Ohio State, Hodge recorded four solo tackles, five assists and a forced fumble. In the win over Illinois he recorded a career-best 18 tackles, including 11 solo, to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the week honors. He also had three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. At Purdue he recorded two solo tackles and two assists, with one tackle for loss. Against Indiana he recorded 11 solo tackles and seven assists, with one tackle for loss. Against Michigan, Hodge recorded 20 tackles, including 14 solo, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble. At Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
Hodge led team with 12 tackles, including six solo, one tackle for loss and one QB pressure. At Wisconsin, Hodge recorded three solo tackles and five assists, including two tackles for loss. Against Minnesota Hodge recorded 13 solo tackles and six assists. Against Florida in the 2006 Outback Bowl
2006 Outback Bowl
The 2006 Outback Bowl featured the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Florida Gators. Florida came into the game under first year head coach Urban Meyer with an 8-3 record. Iowa came into the game with a 7-4 record...
, Hodge set an Iowa bowl record and Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
record with 19 tackles, including 14 solo, he also had one tackle for loss.
Hodges 158 total tackles in 2005 ranks second best at Iowa for a single season.
While at Iowa, he led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation in tackles per game, ranked third in the nation in solo tackles per game, tied for fifth in the Big Ten in forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s, and tied for ninth in recovered fumbles. Hodege ranks third in career tackles with 453.
Green Bay Packers
Hodge was selected by the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the 3rd round (67th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a fumble recovery during his first career start against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on November 27, 2006.
In 2007, Hodge was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
due to a knee injury. Hodge changed his number from 55 to his old college number of 52. He underwent surgery on both knees in an attempt to return to the club in 2008
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
.
Hodge was cut by the Packers on August 30, 2008 during final cuts.
Cincinnati Bengals
Hodge was signed to the practice squad of the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on September 16, 2008. On October 3, he was promoted to the active roster after the team waived cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Simeon Castille
Simeon Castille
Simeon Castille is an American football cornerback who is currently playing for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. Hodge appeared in six games for the Bengals, recording three tackles, before being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
with an arm injury on November 17.
Personal
Hodge and his wife Chabli (high-school sweethearts) have a daughter named Amari Hodge, and a newborn Son Abdul Hodge JR (2009). His younger brother, Elijah Hodge, plays linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the University of Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers football
The first year of Northern Iowa Panthers football was in 1895. They have fielded a football team every year since then with the exceptions of 1906-1907 and 1943-1944...
.