Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges took a knee, but he wasn't running out the clock on a football game. Hodges popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, country music star Lainey Wilson, and the couple announced their engagement in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
"4x4xU forever," Wilson wrote in an Instagram post that shared photos of their big news and a video of Wilson showing off her engagement ring.
Several of Hodges' former Steelers teammates offered congratulations, including outside linebacker T.J. Watt
Hodges and Wilson have been dating for four years. They first acknowledged their relationship after Wilson's appearance at Acrisure Stadium in 2023.
"I share a lot of my life with the world and this is one thing that means a whole lot to me and I want to be careful with it," Wilson said in 2023, announcing their relationship.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges (6) trains at Heinz Field during the Steelers 2020 Training Camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2020 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Hodges, 28, spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Steelers, playing in eight games and starting six when Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph were both injured in 2019.
The Steelers chose not to re-sign him after he did not appear during the 2020 season. Hodges spent the 2021 offseason with the Los Angeles Rams , but was waived in August. He then signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League . He played in four games with Ottawa at the end of the 2022 before announcing his retirement from football.
"I'd like to thank the REDBLACKS for bringing me to Ottawa and giving me this opportunity," Hodges said in a statement released by the team . "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."
Hodges joined the Steelers out of FCS Samford in 2019. With the Bulldogs, he was a Walter Payton Award winner as the best offensive player in FCS, he was a three-time Southern Conference player of the year and he set the NCAA FCS career passing yards record with 14,584.
Hodges joined the Steelers at rookie minicamp on a tryout contract, and worked his way to the 90-man roster.
Lainey Wilson performing at the Lyric in Oxford, Mississippi, on January 31, 2020. — Ben Childers
Wilson, 32, is a Grammy Award-winning country star. Her latest record "Whirlwind" was nominated for Best Country Album in 2025. Wilson toured to Pittsburgh to support the album in October, playing at Petersen Events Center.
A Baskin, Louisiana native, Wilson moved to Nashville to pursue her singing career, and her and Hodges met there.
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