Hodge on 107.5

[BF4MVP]

Abdul Hodge was interviewed by Chris Havel on Sports Radio 107.5 The Fan today..

Here are a couple of the things he said:

-He played MLB at Iowa, and said he would prefer to play there in the NFL, but said he could play all three positions.

-Mentioned leadership qualities as one of his strengths.

-Said he needs to work on pass coverage.

-When asked about how he would like to lay someone out on special teams he said that special teams is very important and could change a game. He said he didn't start the first year he played at Iowa and that's where a lot of his contributions came from..

-Seemed excited to be on the same team as A.J. Hawk and excited about them both being expected to be the anchors of the defense for years to come. Said they were both very productive linebackers coming out of college and now that they're both on the same team it's a great situation for both of them.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think it is cool that both Badgers and Packers have a Hodge bro playing. Especially interesting if they both excell.



UW football: Hodge displays zest for position
TOM MULHERN

Bret Bielema was walking through the University of Wisconsin football locker room last fall when he heard freshman linebacker Elijah Hodge taking some good-natured ribbing from his teammates.

When Hodge arrived at UW, he weighed exactly 199 pounds and some of his teammates told him he looked more like a cornerback than a linebacker.

Make no mistake, Hodge is every bit a linebacker.

From his bloodlines, as the younger brother of former Iowa All-Big Ten Conference linebacker Abdul Hodge, to the intensity he displays on the field, there's no doubt the younger Hodge is meant to be a linebacker.

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"One thing I really like about his skills, he has linebacker intangibles you can't coach," said Bielema, the Badgers' head coach. "He sees every guard, he sees every play-action, he feels and understands the way the play is happening around him. I think that's a natural position for him."

Abdul Hodge was recruited by Bielema at Iowa and attended Saturday's scrimmage at Camp Randall Stadium, while visiting his brother.

"I guess they had some tornadoes down there that way (in Iowa)," Bielema said. "He goes, 'There's another thing you lied to me about in recruiting.' I said, 'What's that?' He goes, 'You told me there were no tornadoes.'"

Whatever it took to land Elijah Hodge from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., it worked, as Bielema pulled him away from Iowa and Ohio State, in what was considered a major recruiting coup.

Travis Beckum, who is now at tight end, and Hodge, who backs up senior Mark Zalewski in the middle, were considered the jewels of the heralded crop of linebackers in the 2005 recruiting class. But it was Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy who worked their way onto the field first last season and are now the team's starting outside linebackers.

"(Hodge) came in with all those guys and a couple of them played (last season) and had success," linebackers coach Dave Doeren said at the start of spring practice. "Now, he has to show what he's made of."

Hodge used the redshirt year to beef up to 225 pounds and there's no mistaking him for a cornerback anymore.

"It was hard at first," he said of not playing last season. "In high school, I was a four-year starter and I was always used to being the man.

"I had to come in and start all over again. Now, that I look back on it, I'm glad I redshirted because I learned a lot of things. I'm smarter as a linebacker. Now, I'm out there reacting instead of thinking."

Hodge's zest for playing linebacker is evident whenever he takes the field.

"I just love being down there in the trenches, taking on lead blocks," he said. "I just love the contact, all of it, at linebacker."

He also relishes the leadership role that comes with his position.

"I always took leadership roles throughout high school," he said. "I just love leading."

The popular Hodge quickly emerged as a leader among the first-year players. He is also one of the most vocal players at practice and being on the second-team defense doesn't prevent him from voicing his opinions.

"I try to keep the tempo up, just keep that intensity, keep that swagger," he said of practice. "Every (good) defense has a great swagger. If I see the first team out there slacking, you'll hear me screaming on the sidelines, hyping them up, getting them in the game."

The biggest obstacle standing in Hodge's way is Zalewski, who might be one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten. But Hodge views that as an opportunity, not a roadblock.

"Zalewski is a great linebacker and I want to learn from him," Hodge said. "While I have him in front of me, I can learn a lot of stuff. I have four years. I'm not in any rush."

During Friday's practice, Bielema rested Zalewski to give Hodge some snaps with the first defense.

"(Hodge) is a guy I really think has got special talents," Bielema said. "I really was hard on him (Friday), because I didn't think he was doing all the things that he needed to do to get better. We purposely took 'Zew' out to get him some more reps. Anything you throw at (Hodge), he's eager to learn. He'll absorb everything."

Hodge bounced back the following day with a couple of nice plays in the scrimmage, while teamed with Zalewski in the No. 1 goal-line defense. In addition to playing special teams, that might be Hodge's quickest way onto the field this season.

"I love Elijah's intensity, his focus," Doeren said. "He loves football. That's the thing, if you ask me about him, he loves football so much, that's going to make him a great player."

[swede]

Intersting posts.

HH, I hadn't heard about Elijah before, but I have a feeling I'll be hearing about him a lot over the next four years.

[Charles Woodson]

Hmm i like the part that said his strength is in leadership. Its nice to finally have a big time leader. Nick barnett wasnt bad but i think our LB will really become the Leaders of the Defense

[BooHoo]

I hope Hodge is half the LB peope say he is. There has been much good written about him. Could he possibly be a draft steal?

[Bretsky]

I hope Hodge is half the LB peope say he is. There has been much good written about him. Could he possibly be a draft steal?

Hodge could turn into the steal of this draft IMO; I'd have been content if they got him in round 2, where I expected him to be drafted.

[Tarlam!]

What NC said. The LB's lead in the middle, Woodson and Collins leading, Harris and Marquand leading.

The D-Line meeds one more DE that will rip people's head's off.

This is a great defense! I can't believe how improved this team is after a few days....

[Fritz]

Hey, I thought I read that Hodge would wear #53...in the pic above it looks like Hodge's Packer jersey is something other than #53. Word on that?

[Tarlam!]

Hey, I thought I read that Hodge would wear #53...in the pic above it looks like Hodge's Packer jersey is something other than #53. Word on that?

He's prolly wearing a Hawkeyes uni in that pic, his number in School was 52...

[Guiness]

Ok, so turn this around. Why was Hodge still on the board? The ONLY knock I've seen against him is his height, which isn't as critical for an ILB.

He couldn't have been that far under the radar - wasn't like he went to a small school or something, and all the national writers jumped all over the fact that he was drafted so late. Why was he passed over until that point

[HarveyWallbangers]

Hodge = #55 for the Packers

Not sure why they couldn't have bumped Kurt Campbell (he wasn't even on the active roster last year) from #52.

Also, I wanted Hawk to get #54, but I guess Roy Manning has that number.