Lainey Wilson showed up at the ACM Awards tonight and had a big red carpet-debut with her beau, Devlin Hodges. That’s right, country music sweetheart and Yellowstone fan-favorite Wilson had been teasing some big news on the horizon, and as the red carpet hosts anticipated her arrival tonight, they were also looking forward to who Wilson would be bringing as her date.
When she took to the carpet in a stunning outfit, she took a few photos alone before being joined by Hodges, and they looked adorable and totally comfortable together. This is Wilson’s first time publicly sharing a romance with her fans, and we couldn’t be happier for her.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Wilson says that her new beau isn’t just the apple of her eye but a total snack, too.
“Yup, yup. I brought me a hot date tonight. I sure did. I mean, he’s looking like a snack over there, ain’t he?”
So just who is the man making Wilson’s heart pitter-patter? Let’s take a look.
Who is Devlin Hodges?
Devlin, or Duck Hodges, is a retired NFL football quarterback podcaster, and someone who can make one heck of a duck call — which is part of how he got his nickname. He also enjoys golf, spending time with friends and family, and a good country concert. Hodges also hunts, and he is a big outdoorsman. His Instagram contains a few snaps of man’s best friend, Hodge’s dog named Willow, and we’ve already fallen a little bit in love with her.
When did Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges go public with their romance?
The pair went red carpet official on May 11 at the ACM Awards, but the country music singer/songwriter had been dropping easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans. Like the post she made after her Pittsburgh show just a week ago, where Wilson and her band all wore Hodges jerseys for the concert.
It’s entirely possible that they were all just massive fans of the football player, but it’s a charming idea that she planned it as a show of support for her beau. If you ask us, that’s the story we’re going with. Their red carpet debut was adorable, as Wilson said her man was “looking like a snack” and also warned him not to seal her thunder during the big night, with a smile on her face as she said it.
Hodges was the most supportive boyfriend throughout the show, and each time Wilson took the stage for either an award win or performance, he looked at her with hearts in his eyes, proud of the woman she is, and she is undoubtedly one of the best ones. During a speech tonight, she left fans and followers with one important message:
“If you’re going to be a dreamer, you better be a doer.”
Wilson knows the value of hard work, and fans are thrilled that she’s found someone to support her through it and someone to share that equally necessary downtime with, too.
Who did Hodges play for?
Hodges was born with a passion for football in his veins, and throughout his career, he played in high school before moving on to college and the NFL. While he’s since retired, his impact on the sport as a whole is one felt by football fans everywhere,
In college, Hodges played for Samford in Homewood, Alabama, where he was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year three times. In 2019 he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent and went on to start in six games for the team. He signed with the Rams in 2021 on a future/reserve contract but was waived in August of that year. In September of 2021, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks for a three-year contract but announced in 2022 that he was retiring,
As a massive Bengals fan, it pains me to post this one, but we’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Upon note of his retirement, Steelers fans posted a highlight of a major play and wished him a happy future.
Here’s to Hodges and Wilson as they embrace this new chapter in their romance!