“THE MOMENT THE CAMERAS CUT, HE FELL APART.” Backstage at the 2025 ACM Awards, Devlin “Duck” Hodges stood shaking, trying to catch his breath after what millions had just watched unfold on live TV. Minutes earlier, Lainey Wilson had called him her “quiet backbone,” and once the curtain closed, the strength he’s known for finally gave way. Choking back tears, Devlin whispered, “I can’t believe she did that… she’s everything to me,” before breaking down completely: “Lainey, you carry me as much as I carry you. I’ve never been this proud… or this in love.” Even hardened crew members wiped their eyes as the couple clung to each other, visibly changed by a year that pushed them, reshaped them, and brought them closer than ever. This wasn’t a viral awards-show moment — it was love, stripped bare, and it left everyone who witnessed it quietly undone

Lainey Wilson has fallen boots-first for her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

The couple began dating in 2021 but didn’t go public with their relationship until two years later, when Hodges accompanied Wilson to the ACM Awards in May 2023. In August 2023, Wilson told PEOPLE that Hodges opened her heart to love.

“I was never really able to write love songs, because I don’t know if I had actually felt it, but I’m writing me some love songs now,” she said. “I’m grateful for him.”

The former NFL player-turned-real estate agent ultimately popped the question, with the couple announcing their engagement in February 2025.

Hodges has been a pillar of support for Wilson as she’s navigated her stardom in both country music and acting. However, the “4x4xU” singer teased on Instagram that her date to the 2025 CMA Awards, which she’s hosting, “might be in the woods hunting.”

So, who is Lainey Wilson’s fiancé? Here’s everything to know about Devlin “Duck” Hodges and his relationship with the country music singer.

His college football coach gave him the nickname “Duck”

Hodges, who affectionately goes by “Duck,” received his nickname while playing football at Samford University in Alabama. During a June 2023 appearance on The Bobby Bones Show, Wilson shared the story of how her now-fiancé’s moniker came to be.

“His college football coach was like, ‘You’re one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever worked with. And you remind me a lot of one of my favorite quarterbacks I got to work with years ago, and we called him Duck,’ ” Wilson said. “And so he and the team just kind of started calling him Duck.”

In October 2025, the country music star told Southern Living that she fibbed to Hodges on their first date, joking that her friends call her “Goose.”

“I was lying, but he fell for it,” she recalled. “I think he was like, ‘Oh, I’m in love.’ ”

He is a former NFL player

After college, Hodges went on to play professional football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was with the team for two years before joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2021; however, he was waived that year.

He later played football for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks and announced his retirement in April 2022.

Similar to Wilson, Hodges understands the importance of work ethic, which is one of the many shared characteristics that first brought them together.

“He knows what it’s like chasing a dream because he’s done that for himself,” Wilson said on The Bobby Bones Show. “He was in the NFL. He tried out literally for the Steelers and made it and had a really great run with them. Went out to LA Rams and did that.”

He works in real estate

Since retiring from the sport, Hodges has taken a keen interest in real estate.

After working with Mossy Oak Properties in Louisiana, he joined the team at Myers Cobb Realtors in April 2024. His profile notes his love of football, duck hunting and country music.

He and Wilson started dating in 2021

The pair began seeing each other in 2021 after meeting through mutual friends in Nashville.

In a June 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Wilson recalled their first date at a dance hall and saloon that was known for its cheap drinks and live music.

“We went to this old place called Silverados, and it had free beer and wine from 5 to 10 p.m.,” she said. “I was like, ‘This boy likes to ball on a budget too. This is gonna work out.’ “

The two immediately hit it off and have been together ever since, but refrained from publicizing their romance for over two years.

“I said, ‘We gonna see if you’re in it for the right reasons,’ ” Wilson told PEOPLE of deciding to stay mum about their relationship for so long. “Turns out, he is. It feels really good to talk about it.”

He and Wilson made their red carpet debut in 2023

The couple confirmed the status of their romance when they walked the red carpet of the 58th ACM Awards hand-in-hand. The singer-songwriter was nominated for six different categories that night, four of which she won.

Wilson wore an all-green ensemble consisting of a cape and her signature bell bottoms, accented with chunky jewelry and a green-brimmed hat. Meanwhile, Hodges stepped out in a blue suit that he paired with a bolo tie and cream cowboy hat.

Speculation about their romance sparked weeks prior when Wilson was spotted wearing Hodges’ Steelers jersey while performing in Pittsburgh. Eagle-eyed fans quickly notified the former Steelers quarterback of Wilson’s outfit on social media, which he happily played into.

“Did she really?!?! Y’all are lying !!!! @laineywilson holla at me !!!,” he wrote on X, replying to a fan who posted about Wilson’s concert attire. “This is me hollerin,” Wilson wrote back, and Hodges responded, “OH.MY.GOD  hello.”

He is close with Wilson’s friends