When Bucky Hodges turned four years old, Randy Moss was fresh off a prolific rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings that nearly ended in a Super Bowl appearance. He was the talk of the league, having established himself as one of the league’s all-time great deep threats after just one season.
Even four-year-olds from Virginia Beach, Va., were taking notice.
Playing football in his grandmother’s backyard, Hodges remembers emulating his first favorite player. “[My dad was] throwing the ball and I was jumping. He was like, ‘Who do you think you is?’ I was like, ‘Moss, Moss, Moss.'”
Now Hodges is wearing his idol’s number in Minnesota, a number that became available when free agent receiver Cordarrelle Patterson moved on to Oakland. Hodges quickly volunteered to be its wearer.
Though Hodges and Moss have never crossed paths, they share the same agent Joel Segal. But Minnesota’s fourth-round pick would like to share more than that with the former Vikings superstar. He wants a piece of the No. 84 legacy. “It’s a legendary number,” said Hodges. “I’m just hoping I throw my name into that hat.”
The dream for Hodges was not always to be the next Moss, however. Going into college at Virginia Tech, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound athlete had intentions of mimicking another star: Michael Vick. Hodges wore Vick’s No. 7 with the Hokies — and played the same position. Hodges was a quarterback at Salem High School under coach Robert Jackson and was recruited to Virginia Tech as a passer.
“I was ranked as a pro-style quarterback,” said Hodges, “but I was a dual threat. My high school coach didn’t really want me to have designed runs because I was bigger than most of the linemen, so he didn’t really want me to get hit that much.”
Redshirting his first year at Virginia Tech, Hodges was a member of the Hokies scout team and was asked to imitate North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron — a future first-round pick and current member of the Detroit Lions. Virginia Tech ended up beating the Tarheels that week 27-17, and they found their tight end of the future.
Hodges dropped to Pick 201 in the sixth round, giving him a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder, in his words.
After a few conversations with defensive coordinator Bud Foster and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, Hodges switched from being a play-caller to a play-maker. “Once I changed, [Loeffler] was showing my scout film to people like, ‘This is going to be our tight end in a couple years,'” Hodges said.
Hodges caught 20 touchdown passes over the next three years and declared one year early for the NFL Draft. Projected by some as a third- or fourth-round pick, Hodges dropped to pick 201 in the sixth round, giving him a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder, in his words.
The reasons for Hodges’ drop are understandable. He barely did any blocking in college since Virginia Tech used him primarily in wide receiver sets. That may limit his versatility as a rookie in the NFL where he may be expected to play a more traditional H-back role. That’s not to say the Vikings can’t get creative with Hodges, who still has value when split out wide.
Hodges actually did the most damage in college using his speed rather than his size. His 4.57 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine was fifth-fastest among tight ends, and a majority of his college touchdowns resulted from his ability to separate from defensive backs. Ideally, the Vikings will be able to utilize Hodges in the red zone because of his size, but high-pointing footballs and making catches in traffic are skills he may have to hone.
“He’s going to have to get in the weight room, get stronger,” said head coach Mike Zimmer, “but he runs 4.5. He’s got some work to do.”
Hodges actually did the most damage using his speed rather than his size.
When regards to his physicality, Hodges thinks of basketball. He was a double-figure scorer for Salem’s varsity squad and amassed eight rebounds per game. He thinks of himself as a similar player to Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham — a former college basketball player who helped reinvent the tight end’s role in the NFL. Graham, like Hodges, became accustomed to lining up as a receiver when he entered the league with the New Orleans Saints.
“The way that the position is now, when the ball is in the air it’s like a rebound in basketball,” said Hodges. “When we grew up, when the ball was in the air, you’d go get it. Same mentality Jimmy Graham has, I have. I model my game after his a lot.”
The Vikings have tried in recent years to mold an athletic tight end to pair with Kyle Rudolph but have come up short. A.C. Leonard was a fascinating prospect in 2014 but was unceremoniously released from the team. MyCole Pruitt was drafted in 2015 but dealt with injuries and never materialized into a well-rounded player. He was eventually claimed off the practice squad by the Chicago Bears.
Hodges hopes to be the solution.
“There’s a lot of openings,” said Hodges. “I’m hoping I can maneuver my way up there.”
