Tevin Hood’s path to the NFL

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The count of Wildcats in the NFL from the 2013 class is now 5 with the addition of Tevin Hood. The 5-11 314lb nose tackle got invited to join the New England Patriots minicamp this summer.

Hood had quite a journey before he ended up back in his home state of Arizona. Hailing from football powerhouse Hamilton High School (Chandler, Arizona), Hood held a 4.52 GPA and had offers from prestigious academic schools such as Yale, Columbia and Princetown. Duke had never offered Hood a scholarship, but he committed anyways, hoping to earn a scholarship after his first semester. Displeased with the coaching staff, Hood decided to transfer to San Diego State University for his sophomore year. Once again, Hood wasn’t satisfied and ultimately decided that transferring to Arizona as a walk-on seemed like the best option for him.

Hood was never a player to rack up an insane amount of tackles, but with his massive size he helped clog the trenches and stop the run. A 3-3-5 scheme allowed him to be focal point of the defensive line and flourish, where Hood recorded 39 tackles and one sack in 11 games this past year.

We wish him nothing but the best and hope the Patriots see Tevin Hood as a young Vince Wilfork, keeping him on the 53-man roster.