TCU Football is having a historic 2022 season which may go down as the best in school history. The Horned Frogs are currently 10-0, have clinched their second Big 12 Championship appearance since joining the Big 12, and are projected to make the College Football Playoffs for the first time ever. A big part of the team’s success this season comes from its defense that is led by junior linebacker, Johnny Hodges. He leads the team in tackles with 66, including 11 against No.18 Texas in addition to 1.5 sacks. Hodges’ road to get to this point is one of the more interesting stories in college football this season.
A native of Darnestown, Maryland, he attended Quince Orchard High School where he lettered in football, basketball, and lacrosse. He led the football team to the 2018 Maryland 4A State Championship and earned All-Met honors in both football and lacrosse. He received offers to play lacrosse and football at a multiple colleges and ultimately decided to attend Navy for lacrosse.
He got some midfield runs as a freshman, however the season was cancelled after only a couple games due to COVID-19. While at home during the pandemic, he realized he missed playing football and decided to join the team at Navy.
In his first football season at Navy, just five months after his last lacrosse game, he put up 13 tackles. The following season he broke out for 50 tackles recording 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 4 passes defended, and a forced fumble. After establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the American Athletic Conference, he decided he wanted to play in the Power 5. This past spring he officially transferred to Texas Christian University of the Big 12.
What’s more interesting is that he is not the only former NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse player on TCU’s football roster. Wide receiver Drew Scott played lacrosse at Ohio State for one season follwing his high school career at Texas powerhouse, Highland Park.
While it’s been almost three years since he last played competitively, Johnny Hodges still loves lacrosse. So far, he hasn’t been involved with the MCLA team at TCU, who just won the LSA D1 Championship this past season. However, he does plan on going out to a practice or two in the spring with teammate Drew Scott.
