Wilson also spoke to ET about the future of 'Yellowstone.'
Lainey Wilson is dating! And it appears she had just one rule for her date when they attended the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards: don't steal her thunder!
The "Heart Like a Truck" songstress spoke to ET's Rachel Smith on Thursday in Frisco, Texas and before diving into country music's biggest night, Wilson had to get a little something, something off her chest when it came to her date, former NFL quarterback Devlin Hodges.
"Yup, yup. I brought me a hot date tonight," she tells ET. "I sure did. I mean, he's looking like a snack over there, ain't he? I said, 'You know what, you can be my date but you can't steal my thunder.'"
Wilson was joking, but it's clear being around Hodges had her in a chipper mood. Prior to her interview with ET, Wilson, 30, nudged Hodges, 27, when a gaggle of photographers were taking their photo on the red carpet.
"I was like, 'Hey, look at all these cameras,'" she quipped. "Don't be nervous, boy!"
Hodges definitely understood the assignment for his ACM Awards red carpet appearance, donning a grey cowboy hat, a blue sports jacket with a pocket square, white dress shirt, a bolo tie and burgundy cowboy boots. Wilson, who also spoke to ET about the future of Yellowstone, gushed as they posed for photos on the red carpet.
As for Hodges, whose nickname is "Duck" and is an avid hunter, he's originally from Alabama and he had a stellar college football career at Samford in Alabama, where he starred all four seasons at quarterback and, in his senior season in 2018, broke Steve McNair's NCAA FCS career-record for passing yards with 14,584. McNair, who starred at Alcorn State and had a legendary career with the Tennessee Titans before his death in 2009, initially set the NCAA FCS record in 1994.
Hodges ultimately signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 as an undrafted free agent and starred in six games and played in a total of eight games as a rookie. His lone season as a starting NFL quarterback resulted in 1,063 yards passing with five touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Steelers waived him the following season but later rejoined on the practice squad. He also had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Later that year, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadien Football League, but announced his retirement from professional football in April 2022.
Hodges is not Wilson's first date to a major awards show. Her date at last year's CMAs? Her father, Brian.
The 58th annual ACM Awards are streaming live on Prime Video and Amazon Music's channel, Twitch, on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. ET from the Ford Center's The Star in Frisco, Texas. Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are hosting the show with performances by Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean and more. Check out all the nominees and the full winner's list.
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