Former Homeless Harvard Star Has Sights Set On NFL
BOSTON (CBS) - In the historic Harvard Coliseum – where he sometimes ran stairs in the middle of the night and where he became the Ivy League's top defender twice – Zack Hodges tries to downplay the path the led him there.
Update: Indianapolis Colts Sign Hodges
"My life experiences are what they are," says the 23-year-old Harvard senior.
But to understand the accomplishments of number 99 on the field – and what makes him tick -- you need some history.
He was born in New York where his Dad died when Zack was a toddler. His Mom remarried and they moved to the Carolinas, where his abusive step-father forced mother and son to flee.
They were homeless for a long stretch – living in a car at times – and young Zack was ridiculed by other kids for going to school unshowered in dirty clothes.
But Barbara Hodges was his rock -- until she suffered a fatal stroke right before his eyes when Zack was in high school.
"My Mom always told me I could do anything I wanted in life," Zack says. "But whatever I chose to do she told me to be the best at it."
He followed that advice to prep school, and then to Harvard on a football scholarship, but is quick to credit extended family and mentors for guiding him in the right direction – both on and off the field.
Many NFL scouts are intrigued by Zack's explosive quickness and ferocious tackling, and believe he might go as high as the fourth round in next week's NFL draft. If that happens he'll be only the third defensive player in Harvard history to be drafted by the NFL.
"When you think of Zack Hodges you think of the journey," says longtime Harvard football coach Tim Murphy.
Coach Murphy and his staff constantly preach education through athletics and dealing with adversity – and few players exemplify that more than Hodges. Janitors would find him asleep some mornings in the locker room, where he had dozed off while watching hours of game films to study opponents.
"I think there are very few individuals that could make that journey and every step of the way find a way to be successful," says Murphy.
But staying positive and striving for perfection are not just reserved for football.
"For me, that's the model of how I want to live my life," says Zack.
He's got a 3.0 grade point average -- majoring in government and, yes, philosophy.
"If things are good, enjoy it and immerse yourself in it fully," he says thoughtfully. "And if things are bad – immerse yourself in it fully, as well – because it's only a moment. It won't last forever."
Nobody knows that better than Zack Hodges – and he hopes his story will inspire others.
As a six-foot-two, 250 pound linebacker – he's counting on his cerebral brand of football to compete against the really big boys. But labels like "longshot" don't worry him.
"Titles don't really define you," Zack says. "But how you carry yourself does."
The NFL draft begins next Thursday and nobody who knows Zack is doubting he'll succeed – one way or another.