Michael Hodges on Von Miller's induction into A&M HOF, playing memories

Key notes from Michael Hodges interview

• We've got a little Aggie group working for the Saints right now which is nice. It's nice to be able to root for the Aggies a little more now that I'm out of the college ranks. We love New Orleans and our staff is solid, these guys are rock stars. To work directly under Aaron Glenn and Dennis Allen on the defensive side and to be mentored under Dan Campbell, I feel like I've won the lottery.
  
  
• As a player, I've got more favorite Von Miller moments off the field than on the field. Those are the memories I hold dear because of how special a person he is. On the field, that interception against Texas in Austin at the end of the game comes to mind. Who better to finish off Texas that season than him? It still gives me chills. Beating Texas in Austin is about as good as it gets as an Aggie.
  
  
• I got to A&M in 2008 when the new regime came in. There were 16 linebackers then and I was number 16 on the depth chart. I would sit back and watch everyone and I saw this guy moving around and doing things that people aren't supposed to be able to do. After his hiccup with Coach Sherman and him getting suspended, seeing his maturity speaks to who he is now more than his 17 sacks in 2009.
  
  
• Coach Kines put Von in matchups that would let Von go win one-on-ones. To see him develop as a person was just awesome and it all culminated with him being an All-American and then coming back to cement his legendary status at A&M.
  
  
• Von was a guy at A&M who was maybe not the first one in the gym each morning, but he always wanted to be around the guys. He would usually be the last one out of the locker room. In the weight room he built a phenomenal relationship with the strength staff. He jumped in head first in learning a new defense with Coach DeRuyter his last season and he knew what he had to do to get ready for a game on Saturday.
  
  
• Every Saturday, it didn't matter how his week went, he was at his prime when the lights came on. You can see how much even more he's developed in his NFL career, and it all ties back to his love for the game of football.
  
  
• Von is the ultimate competitor. He can naturally win most situations, but if he can't do it naturally, he'll find a way to win it anyways. He did his job which allowed him to be Von Miller in the framework of what we were trying to do as a team. He was selfless to the point where he would do anything to win the game, that's what's special about Von.
  
  
• Seeing Von show his love for A&M makes me proud. There are so many guys in the NFL and the fans don't know what they've all been through. Von is one of the good guys, he gives back and you can see him trying to make an impact much greater than his statistics.
  
  
• He's going into the A&M hall of fame pretty quick after playing, and it'll only be a matter of time after his NFL career that he'll be wearing a jacket. He's grown into a greater star than I would have ever thought, and it's been fun to see him give back.
  
  

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