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Former Steelers quarterback Devlin 'Duck' Hodges announces retirement

CBS News Live
CBS News Pittsburgh Live

OTTAWA (KDKA) - The man who spurred thousands of memes, Strip District t-shirts, and a nickname that captivated Steeler Nation has hung up his cleats.

Devlin "Duck" Hodges announced his retirement from professional football.

In 2019, the Steelers signed Hodges as a free agent but ultimately waived him in August.

Then, in September, he was signed to the practice squad, and just six days later, he was on the active roster after Ben Roethlisberger went down with an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

October 6, 2019, Duck Mania began in Pittsburgh when he came in for an injured Mason Rudolph against the Ravens.

A week later, he made his first start in the NFL against the Chargers, throwing for 132 yards, one touchdown, and an interception.

The legend of Duck began to take hold on November 24, 2019, when he took over for Rudolph in the third quarter of a game against the Bengals, throwing a 79-yard touchdown pass that helped in a 16-10 comeback victory.

He appeared in eight games for the Steelers and threw for 1,063 yards, five touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 

Hodges has since been playing in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Redblacks but announced his retirement on Friday.

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