TCU Football: Hodges Signs NIL Deal With Local Professional Sports Club

Horned Frog linebacker joins Panther City Lacrosse Club to spread game around Cowtown

TCU athletes are known for having interesting back stories, whether it be a story of redemption from a rough home life, or success in another sport while growing up. Johnny Hodges fits into the latter category as he grew up with success in the game of lacrosse.

Hodges grew up in Maryland and graduated from Quince Orchard High in 2019, playing lacrosse, football, and basketball. After receiving an honorable mention as a high school junior in lacrosse and a football state championship as a senior, he signed only to play lacrosse at the United States Naval Academy.

He saw his freshman season cut short after just one appearance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after which he switched back over to the football team.

"I was up there and played only lacrosse," Hodges remembered. "Then I tried to play them both, and then by the time I started playing football, I realized I was a little better than I thought I was going to be."

In his freshman football season, Hodges played in seven games with one start and recorded 13 tackles. His sophomore season saw more success. Despite just nine appearances, he was fourth on the Midshipmen team in tackles, totaling 50. His breakout game was at home against SMU, where he recorded 14 tackles and an interception despite a 31-24 loss.

After the 2021 football season, Hodges entered the transfer portal and decided to come to Texas and join the Horned Frogs under new coach Sonny Dykes.

Hodges immediately impacted the TCU defense and led the Frogs with 87 tackles. He started in all 14 games he played in but missed the Big 12 Championship because of injury. However, he never quite got over his love for lacrosse.

Due to his ties to the oldest organized sport in North America, Hodges recently signed a Name-Image-Likeness (NIL) deal with Fort Worth's latest professional franchise, Panther City Lacrosse Club of the National Lacrosse League, which the team announced on social media.

We have signed @TCU_Athletics student-athlete Johnny Hodges to a NIL deal.

The former @NavyMLax lacrosse player, @Johnnyhodges44 will work to expand Panther City’s footprint in Fort Worth. Hodges will be at @DickiesArena Saturday for pregame autographs at 6:15pm! pic.twitter.com/DqSxXnrSzR

— Panther City Lacrosse Club (@PantherCityLax) March 27, 2023

"They reached out not long after the national championship," Hodges mentioned. "I don't think they knew who I was, and I didn't know who they were. Then I had a pretty good year last year, and then one thing led to another, and that's how they heard my story."

Hodges then spent a week with the organization, capped off with an autograph session before Panther City LC defeated Albany 12-8 on Saturday, April 1. The week included an interview with the social media team and a trick-shot video with the players.

"I just hope this grows the game," Hodges said. "There are so many athletes here and so many kids playing football, basketball, track, baseball, and I think they would love playing lacrosse. It builds off football really well, builds your hips, builds your endurance and physicality. It's a good game to play in the springtime."

Panther City finished the regular season at home last Friday, April 21. They now enter the postseason for the first time in the young franchise's history.

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