Indianapolis Colts sign former Charlottean Zack Hodges

Nothing has ever come easy for Zack Hodges, and his entry into the NFL will be no exception.

A defensive end from Harvard who overcame family tragedy and homelessness as a Charlotte teen, Hodges signed with the Indianapolis Colts over the weekend after not being selected during the seven-round draft.

“Thinking about my life, me and my whole family have never been handed anything,” Hodges said Sunday. “We’ve had to fight and claw all our life to get where we are, so why would this be any different?”

Hodges was projected as a fifth- or sixth-rounder after twice being named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year.

But Tony Pauline, a longtime draft analyst, reported that some teams removed Hodges from their draft boards after he came across as “aloof” during interviews at the combine in February.

“I heard that. I’m not really sure. I don’t know,” Hodges said during a phone interview. “For me, most of my memory from the combine was just people asking me if I’ve ever been arrested or things like that.

“You try to go through this process as best you can. I don’t know how other people perceive me. I just try to be the best I can be and be as truthful and straight up about who I am.”

Hodges, who had 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season, will be an outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme. He said he’ll also play special teams and anything else he’s asked to do to win a roster spot.

He’ll arrive at the Colts’ rookie minicamp this week with a chip on his shoulder.

“I just feel highly motivated,” he said. “Nothing’s ever been handed to me, so yet again I’ve got to go do it. It’s nothing new I’ve got to do. It’s going to be a brutal next few months in the training room preparing. So we’ll see.”

In the weeks leading to the draft, Hodges told his story of perseverance to a number of media outlets, including the Observer, The New York Times, CNN and ESPN.

Hodges’ father, a professional boxer, died when Hodges was 1. He moved to the Carolinas with his mother, settling in the Charlotte area when he was in middle school.

Hodges and his mother, Barbara Wright, were homeless at various times during his teen years. They eventually rented a house in Mint Hill while Wright worked a couple of jobs, including a position in the after-school program at Providence Springs Elementary.

Wright died following a massive stroke in 2008 when Hodges was a junior at Independence High. He played his final game for Independence the day of his mother’s funeral.

He finished high school in Atlanta, where his aunt and grandmother lived. Hodges said he leaned on his family members as he watched the draft unfold without hearing his name called.

“I tried for the most part not to even pay too much attention to the draft, just focusing on spending time with my family,” he said.

Hodges said a few teams began calling his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, before the draft was over, expressing interest in him as a free agent. He thought the Colts offered the best opportunity.

“They really spoke strongly and wanted to give me a real shot, and really that’s all you ask for,” he said.

The Colts play the NFC South this season. So if Hodges makes the team, he could have two homecoming games in Atlanta and Charlotte, where Indianapolis faces the Panthers in a Monday night matchup Nov. 2.

“There are some games marked off on the calendar. I look forward to shaking some coaches’ hands after some games,” said Hodges in an apparent reference to teams that passed him over in the draft.

But as he begins the next phase of his life, Hodges feels he’s well equipped to handle whatever obstacles stand in his way.

“If this is the lowest point in my career, so be it, I’ll take it,” he said. “I just have to remain strong and figure out how am I going to continue on to the goals that I have.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2015 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Indianapolis Colts sign former Charlottean Zack Hodges."