motife
05-14-2006, 10:36 PM
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/sports/14579479.htm
Packers draft pick Hodge adjusting to NFL life
Associated Press
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - He still wore an Iowa football T-shirt and black-and-gold sweat pants, but the hat sweeping back Abdul Hodge's dreadlocks is a new color - Green Bay Packers green.
As he signed autographs at a cell phone store in Cedar Rapids Saturday there was more green - in fact, most of the stuff Hodge was called upon to sign Saturday was memorabilia from his new team.
It makes sense: Hodge is a Green Bay Packer now, after being selected in the third round of this month's NFL draft. Soon he'll be paid to play, a near lifelong dream of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native.
"I'm looking at it like a job," Hodge said Saturday. "This whole time at Iowa, I've been interviewing for a job and I got hired by the Green Bay Packers. It's going to be nice to support myself and my family for a while."
Hodge has already logged his first mini camp as a Packer. He practiced at middle linebacker and in one drill batted down a deep pass from three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre.
"You grow up looking at all these players, the Brett Favres, and then you get to share the same locker room with them. It's a blessing. It's a great feeling," Hodge said. "But at the same time, you can't be awed by the situation. You've got to look at it from a business standpoint.
"I'm about to do what (Favre) is doing. That's to get a job done. I'm going up to do a job. They brought me up there to play football. That's what I'm going to do."
The job will begin in earnest Monday, when Hodge moves to Green Bay.
"We talked about him maybe being a little undersized," said Green Bay linebackers coach Winston Moss. "He's a very, very competitive guy. He made a lot of plays. He's shown some toughness. One thing that stood out with Hodge was the ability to get the ball out. He's an impact tackler."
Hodge said he will start in the middle, but may move outside. First-round pick A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett probably will start, and Hodge will compete for the third linebacker spot with free agent Ben Taylor and second-year player Brady Poppinga.
Hodge's locker is next to that of Hawk, an Ohio State all-American.
"Anytime you have someone going through their rookie season at the same position, it helps," Hodge said. "It's kind of like at Iowa going through everything with (Chad) Greenway."
Hodge is referring to Chad Greenway, his teammate at linebacker for three seasons at Iowa, and the 17th pick in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings.
Hodge said he expects the culture in Green Bay to be similar to that of Iowa City.
"I think it's slower than Iowa City," Hodge said. "Being in Iowa gave me a heads-up on what it's going to be like in Green Bay."
Packers draft pick Hodge adjusting to NFL life
Associated Press
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - He still wore an Iowa football T-shirt and black-and-gold sweat pants, but the hat sweeping back Abdul Hodge's dreadlocks is a new color - Green Bay Packers green.
As he signed autographs at a cell phone store in Cedar Rapids Saturday there was more green - in fact, most of the stuff Hodge was called upon to sign Saturday was memorabilia from his new team.
It makes sense: Hodge is a Green Bay Packer now, after being selected in the third round of this month's NFL draft. Soon he'll be paid to play, a near lifelong dream of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native.
"I'm looking at it like a job," Hodge said Saturday. "This whole time at Iowa, I've been interviewing for a job and I got hired by the Green Bay Packers. It's going to be nice to support myself and my family for a while."
Hodge has already logged his first mini camp as a Packer. He practiced at middle linebacker and in one drill batted down a deep pass from three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre.
"You grow up looking at all these players, the Brett Favres, and then you get to share the same locker room with them. It's a blessing. It's a great feeling," Hodge said. "But at the same time, you can't be awed by the situation. You've got to look at it from a business standpoint.
"I'm about to do what (Favre) is doing. That's to get a job done. I'm going up to do a job. They brought me up there to play football. That's what I'm going to do."
The job will begin in earnest Monday, when Hodge moves to Green Bay.
"We talked about him maybe being a little undersized," said Green Bay linebackers coach Winston Moss. "He's a very, very competitive guy. He made a lot of plays. He's shown some toughness. One thing that stood out with Hodge was the ability to get the ball out. He's an impact tackler."
Hodge said he will start in the middle, but may move outside. First-round pick A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett probably will start, and Hodge will compete for the third linebacker spot with free agent Ben Taylor and second-year player Brady Poppinga.
Hodge's locker is next to that of Hawk, an Ohio State all-American.
"Anytime you have someone going through their rookie season at the same position, it helps," Hodge said. "It's kind of like at Iowa going through everything with (Chad) Greenway."
Hodge is referring to Chad Greenway, his teammate at linebacker for three seasons at Iowa, and the 17th pick in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings.
Hodge said he expects the culture in Green Bay to be similar to that of Iowa City.
"I think it's slower than Iowa City," Hodge said. "Being in Iowa gave me a heads-up on what it's going to be like in Green Bay."