Reggie Hodges
Encyclopedia
Reginald Aaron "Reggie" Hodges (born January 26, 1982 in Champaign, Illinois
) is an American football
punter for the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams
in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ball State.
Hodges has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
, Indianapolis Colts
, Seattle Seahawks
, New England Patriots
, New York Jets
and Tennessee Titans
.
drafted Hodges in the sixth round (210th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He was signed to a three-year contract on July 27, 2005. Hodges won the Rams' punting job out of training camp, beating out veteran Bryan Barker
. Hodges went on to appear in five games for the Rams, averaging 38.0 yards and 31.0 net yards in 22 attempts. Hodges' poor performance caused the team to release him on October 10 and re-sign Barker for the remainder of the season.
head coach Andy Reid
said the team would sign Hodges to replace Dirk Johnson
, who was out with a hernia. Hodges appeared in three games for the Eagles, averaging 36.8 yards in 19 punts with one blocked. He was waived by the team November 22. He spent the rest of the 2005 season out of football.
The Eagles re-signed Hodges to a two-year future contract on January 13, 2006. The deal included base salaries of $310,000 (2006) and $385,000 (2007). However, he did not play in the team's first preseason game and was waived on August 8.
signed Hodges, however he failed to beat out longtime Colts punter Hunter Smith
for the job and was released on September 3. He spent the 2006 season out of football.
The Colts re-signed Hodges to a three-year contract on February 23, 2007. He again lost out to Smith for the Colts' punting job, failing to appear in the team's first two preseason games before being released on August 23. He spent the season out of football.
on April 11, 2008. He was released by the team on August 30 during final cuts.
. He was waived from it on September 7, 2008.
. He was re-signed on June 10, 2009.
. He was waived on October 27.
on November 15, 2009 after punter Dave Zastudil
was listed as inactive for the Monday Night Football
against the Baltimore Ravens
. Zastudil was later placed on injured reserve
on November 18, making Hodges the only punter on the roster. Zastudil was again placed on injured reserve on August 17, 2010 after the knee recovered poorly from surgery.
During the Browns' October 24, 2010 game against the New Orleans Saints
, Hodges took a fake punt and ran it 68 yards to the Saints' 10 yard line. This run is currently the longest run by a punter in NFL history, and it was the longest run by a member of the Cleveland Browns during the 2010 season.
On November 27, 2010 Hodges signed a 2 year deal, keeping him with the Browns through 2012.
On August 2, 2011 while practicing at the Cleveland Browns
Training Facility in Berea, Ohio
Hodges suffered a torn left Achilles tendon, falling to the ground as soon as he planted his non-kicking foot in the end zone during a special teams drill. He was immediately called out for the season and placed on injured reserve. Free agent punter Richmond McGee
was signed to take over the position but was placed on injured reserve September 13, 2011 following a week 1 injury and the signing of Brad Maynard
.
He considers himself a "Servant of God disguised as a Punter for the Cleveland Browns", often holding prayer calls through his Twitter.
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
) is an American football
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...
punter for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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 St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. 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 Ball State.
Hodges has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, 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...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
Early years
Hodges earned First-team All-state honors in Illinois as a senior at Centennial High School, averaging 39.4 yards per punt.College career
Hodges took over punting duties as a freshman at Ball State, going on to set a school-career record with 254 attempts. His 10,210 yards ranked second in school history at the time of his graduation. He was named First-team All-MAC selection as a senior, leading conference with 73 punts (42.6 avg).St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
drafted Hodges in the sixth round (210th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He was signed to a three-year contract on July 27, 2005. Hodges won the Rams' punting job out of training camp, beating out veteran Bryan Barker
Bryan Barker
Bryan Christopher Barker is a retired American football punter in the National Football League.Barker last played for the St. Louis Rams in 2005...
. Hodges went on to appear in five games for the Rams, averaging 38.0 yards and 31.0 net yards in 22 attempts. Hodges' poor performance caused the team to release him on October 10 and re-sign Barker for the remainder of the season.
Philadelphia Eagles
On November 2, 2005, Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
said the team would sign Hodges to replace Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
, who was out with a hernia. Hodges appeared in three games for the Eagles, averaging 36.8 yards in 19 punts with one blocked. He was waived by the team November 22. He spent the rest of the 2005 season out of football.
The Eagles re-signed Hodges to a two-year future contract on January 13, 2006. The deal included base salaries of $310,000 (2006) and $385,000 (2007). However, he did not play in the team's first preseason game and was waived on August 8.
Indianapolis Colts
On August 18, 2006, the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
signed Hodges, however he failed to beat out longtime Colts punter Hunter Smith
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith is an American football punter, currently a free agent and most recently for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
for the job and was released on September 3. He spent the 2006 season out of football.
The Colts re-signed Hodges to a three-year contract on February 23, 2007. He again lost out to Smith for the Colts' punting job, failing to appear in the team's first two preseason games before being released on August 23. He spent the season out of football.
Seattle Seahawks
After failing to make an NFL team for each of the past two seasons, Hodges signed with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle 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 April 11, 2008. He was released by the team on August 30 during final cuts.
New England Patriots
On September 4, 2008, Hodges was signed to the practice squad of the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. He was waived from it on September 7, 2008.
New York Jets
On September 17, 2008, Hodges was signed by the Jets to replace former punter Ben Graham, who was cut the day before. The Jets waived Hodges on April 27, 2009, and he was replaced by Eric WilburEric Wilbur
Eric Wilbur is an American professional football player who is a punter for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League . Wilbur played college football for the University of Florida...
. He was re-signed on June 10, 2009.
Tennessee Titans
On September 23, 2009, Hodges was signed by the Titans to replace punter Craig HentrichCraig Hentrich
Craig Hentrich is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.Hentrich has also played for the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans....
. He was waived on October 27.
Cleveland Browns
Hodges was signed by the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 15, 2009 after punter Dave Zastudil
Dave Zastudil
David Michael Zastudil is an American football punter for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League...
was listed as inactive for the Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Zastudil was later 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...
on November 18, making Hodges the only punter on the roster. Zastudil was again placed on injured reserve on August 17, 2010 after the knee recovered poorly from surgery.
During the Browns' October 24, 2010 game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Hodges took a fake punt and ran it 68 yards to the Saints' 10 yard line. This run is currently the longest run by a punter in NFL history, and it was the longest run by a member of the Cleveland Browns during the 2010 season.
On November 27, 2010 Hodges signed a 2 year deal, keeping him with the Browns through 2012.
On August 2, 2011 while practicing at the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Training Facility in Berea, Ohio
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
Hodges suffered a torn left Achilles tendon, falling to the ground as soon as he planted his non-kicking foot in the end zone during a special teams drill. He was immediately called out for the season and placed on injured reserve. Free agent punter Richmond McGee
Richmond McGee
Richmond McGee is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a street free agent in 2008...
was signed to take over the position but was placed on injured reserve September 13, 2011 following a week 1 injury and the signing of Brad Maynard
Brad Maynard
Bradley "Brad" Alan Maynard is an American football punter for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
.
Personal
Hodges has the distinction of being one of few African-American punters in NFL history.He considers himself a "Servant of God disguised as a Punter for the Cleveland Browns", often holding prayer calls through his Twitter.