Horned Frogs First Person: Jamoi Hodge
10/24/2023 8:41:00 AM | Football
TCU linebacker credits his success to his mom
(as told to Lily Margaret Greenway)
I was always the kid leaning over the stands trying to catch the attention of college football players and get their autograph, or maybe even one of their gloves. Now, after every game, I always give away my gloves and sign things for kids. I know what it's like to be in their shoes. It means a lot knowing that there are people who look up to me and what I'm doing, because ever since I was a kid hoping for a player's glove, it's been my dream to play football at the Power Five level.
My mom is, by far, the person I look up to the most. She raised my sister and me as a single mom and made countless sacrifices so we could have the opportunities to be wherever we wanted to be. When I wanted to go on an official visit at TCU a week before signing day, my mom drove all the way from North Carolina to Kansas to pack up all of my things from the junior college where I was currently playing, and then we flew to Fort Worth together. Our flight was delayed and we didn't get here until late at night, but I remember we ate dinner at Eddie V's and they kept the restaurant open late for us! Driving through TCU the next day, what stood out most to me were the bricks. They weren't an ugly brown or red color, they were beautiful. And the grass was so green, too! After I toured the football facilities, I accepted my offer from the coaches on the spot.
Everybody has their own journey and path to get where they need to go, and I think that's really exciting. When I was younger, I was a Florida State fan who never imagined he'd be at TCU. But getting to wake up every day and walk around in the shoes a lot of people don't get to be in is something I never take for granted. I wasn't very patient when I started here, but coming in and dealing with injury and rehab to get my body right taught me a lot of patience and professionalism from the get go. I missed most of my first season because of my injury, which forced me to sit back, better myself and shift my mindset to having a great year, regardless. My mom never complains, and she taught me never to quit, too.
I was a captain during my senior year of high school, and it has always been my goal to be a leader on this team and guide my teammates in the right direction. I am a good communicator, and I like to check up on people, even if it's just saying "what's up?" to a stranger I pass. I've got a lot of energy, especially on the field, and that carries over into my passion for making music and beats. I go by MOI BEATS and I've even collaborated with some rappers. People know me as a football player, but they don't know that my hype music on the bus before a game is usually my own material.
I was always the kid leaning over the stands trying to catch the attention of college football players and get their autograph, or maybe even one of their gloves. Now, after every game, I always give away my gloves and sign things for kids. I know what it's like to be in their shoes. It means a lot knowing that there are people who look up to me and what I'm doing, because ever since I was a kid hoping for a player's glove, it's been my dream to play football at the Power Five level.
My mom is, by far, the person I look up to the most. She raised my sister and me as a single mom and made countless sacrifices so we could have the opportunities to be wherever we wanted to be. When I wanted to go on an official visit at TCU a week before signing day, my mom drove all the way from North Carolina to Kansas to pack up all of my things from the junior college where I was currently playing, and then we flew to Fort Worth together. Our flight was delayed and we didn't get here until late at night, but I remember we ate dinner at Eddie V's and they kept the restaurant open late for us! Driving through TCU the next day, what stood out most to me were the bricks. They weren't an ugly brown or red color, they were beautiful. And the grass was so green, too! After I toured the football facilities, I accepted my offer from the coaches on the spot.
Everybody has their own journey and path to get where they need to go, and I think that's really exciting. When I was younger, I was a Florida State fan who never imagined he'd be at TCU. But getting to wake up every day and walk around in the shoes a lot of people don't get to be in is something I never take for granted. I wasn't very patient when I started here, but coming in and dealing with injury and rehab to get my body right taught me a lot of patience and professionalism from the get go. I missed most of my first season because of my injury, which forced me to sit back, better myself and shift my mindset to having a great year, regardless. My mom never complains, and she taught me never to quit, too.
I was a captain during my senior year of high school, and it has always been my goal to be a leader on this team and guide my teammates in the right direction. I am a good communicator, and I like to check up on people, even if it's just saying "what's up?" to a stranger I pass. I've got a lot of energy, especially on the field, and that carries over into my passion for making music and beats. I go by MOI BEATS and I've even collaborated with some rappers. People know me as a football player, but they don't know that my hype music on the bus before a game is usually my own material.
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