Devlin Hodges already holds several Samford school records entering the 2018 season. The senior quarterback has 21 of them, to be exact. Do you know what is missing on his resume and in the trophy case, though? The Walter Payton Award, and the school has pulled out all of the stops to start lobbying for its superstar before the season even starts.
With "The Duck" nickname, which seems a bit odd considering he's a quarterback, Samford University has introduced "Devlin Hodges' DuckTales: A Quest for the Walter Payton Award." Woo-ooh!
Wow. Just... wow. There are no more words.
Of all of the campaign videos coming across college football this season, this one already takes the cake in terms of sheer ridiculousness.
It is also likely going to be the one most likely to get a childhood theme song stuck in your head.
But those school records? Man, Hodges has a lot of them, and those numbers are only going to multiply for the Bulldogs this season. Check them out:
School Records Held By Hodges (Entering 2018 Season)
Longest TD Pass: 94 yds, to E. Obajimi at Mercer, 2015
Passing Yds in a Game: 516, at Western Carolina, 2017
Passing Yds in a Season: 4,088, 2016
Career Passing Yds: 10,301
Pass Completions in a Season: 375, 2016
Career Pass Completions: 922
Pass Attempts in a Game: 69, at Miss. State, 2016 (tie)
Pass Attempts in a Season: 530, 2016
Career Pass Attempts: 1,346
Highest Completion Pct. in a Season: 70.8, 2016
Highest Career Completion Pct: 68.5
TD Passes in a Season: 36, 2016
Career TD Passes: 79
Total Offensive Yds in a Game: 530, at Western Carolina, 2017
Total Offensive Yds in a Season: 4,310, 2016
Career Total Offensive Yds: 11,005
Most Plays in a Game: 86, at Miss. State, 2016
Most Plays in a Season: 641
Most TDs Responsible For in a Season: 40, 2016 (tie)
Most Career TDs Responsible For: 88
Most Career Points Responsible For: 528
For those unfamiliar why this video was even created, the Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding players in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA.
An award given to a player at a smaller school, sure, but don't scoff at the list of past winners. NFL greats Steve McNair (Alcorn State), Brian Westbrook (Villanova), and Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) have all won the award. The latest NFL star to win it is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois) in 2013.
Could Devlin "The Duck" Hodges be the next etched in glory? Hodges did go 26-for-35 for 227 yards with two touchdowns and no Interceptions against national runner-up Georgia last season.
A video like this will certainly help some more people pay attention, too.
