Meet Lainey Wilson’s boyfriend Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges: the former Los Angeles Rams NFL player met the Yellowstone star through mutual friends and recently switched to a real estate career
Mutual friends introduced Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges to each other at a Nashville saloon in 2021 – but it was two years before they went public
Country music sensation and actress Lainey Wilson and her boyfriend Devlin “Duck” Hodges, a former NFL star, have been fan favourites since revealing their relationship last year. As it turns out, the couple have been going strong since 2021, keeping their romance secret for almost two years.
Wilson’s latest album, Whirlwind, was released in August this year and features Miranda Lambert on the track, “Good Horses”. The singer has crossed over into television with a recurring role in the hugely successful Yellowstone, staring Kevin Costner. As her fame escalates (and she defends her love of bell bottoms), here is what you need to know about the man who has supported her for years, Devlin Hodges.
Making the NFL
Per his LinkedIn profile, Hodges was a quarterback for Samford University for four years, becoming the all-time FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) passing leader at the time. He later joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing seven games in his rookie year.
Hodges joined the LA Rams before heading to the Canadian football league where he played for the Ottawa Redblacks. In 2022 he announced his retirement from football, thanking the Canadian Football League for having him. “I have gained a lot of respect for the CFL and its fans – particularly RNation. I’m excited to see what the future holds but I know that the next chapter in my life is going to be fun.”
Where did the Duck nickname come from?
When he playing football at Samford University, a coach gave him the nickname Duck. Wilson explained the story behind her boyfriend’s nickname in an interview on The Bobby Bones Show. She said his college football coach told him, “You’re one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever worked with. And you remind me a lot of one of my favourite quarterbacks I got to work with years ago and we called him Duck.” She said the nickname stuck and soon his teammates started calling him by the moniker. On his social media, Hodges regularly posts images of his duck hunting, proudly displaying his trophies.