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Devlin “Duck” Hodges reminisced on his first date with country superstar Lainey Wilson.
Hodges, 29, appeared on a new episode of Like a Farmer, catching up with host Pat Spinosa about his journey to the NFL, his go-to songs to listen to before a game, his three favorite songs by his fiancée (“4x4xU,” and “Watermelon Moonshine,” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses”), and more. He also reflected on his first date with Wilson on the podcast.
“Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges joins Like A Farmer to share how a small-town kid with a duck call and a dream became a college record-breaker, NFL quarterback, and Pittsburgh Steelers folk hero. Duck opens up about his passion for duck hunting, how he became a national calling champ, and the unexpected path that took him from Samford to the Steel City. He also shares the story of his first date and engagement with country superstar Lainey Wilson. From hunting blinds to the bright lights, it’s a story of grit, grace, and good timing.”
Hodges noted that “Yesterday, All Day, Every Day,” which appears on Wilson’s deluxe edition of Whirlwind, tells the story of the couple’s first date. He said the couple went out to dinner outside of Nashville, and then went to a bar with line dancing. Hodges said he knew quickly that Wilson would be the one. He had a feeling, “this is it,” he remembered. “We had that moment, for sure.”
Wilson, 33, recently spoke about her first date with Hodges in an interview with Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans. The returning host of the upcoming CMA Awards said, making a joke about Hodges’ nickname: “On our first date, I told him that people call me Goose. I was lying, but he fell for it. I think he was like, ‘Oh, I’m in love.’”
Hodges proposed to Wilson earlier this year at late legend George Jones’ estate in Franklin, Tennessee, outside of Nashville. Wilson said she’d been “wanting to see the George Jones estate for quite some time, and his buddy had it listed for sale.” When she and Hodges arrived, Wilson said she knew her fiancé had “different plans. …It could not have been more perfect.”