Evander “Ziggy” Hood entered the NFL as the 32nd pick in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2009. The defensive lineman played ten seasons with five different organizations from 2009 until his retirement following the 2018 football year.
Hood had a long football career where he gained plenty of fans away from the gridiron thanks to his strong effort on the field. Now, the 36-year-old Amarillo, Texas native has a different title than football player. He’s the Biology teacher for Palo Duro High School in his hometown while also doubling as a defensive line coach for the local football team.
But Hood recently noticed one of his students who had his own battles he’d been fighting. It was during a conversation with this young individual that Hood realized there was something much more serious going on.
“After talking with him for a little bit, trying to explain to him, there’s multiple ways of going about this. And one way was not the way which he had planned.”
Former NFL player Ziggy Hood on a recent incident at Palo Duro High School
Local reports indicate a weapon was later found on school campus, leading to a student being arrested, but had it not been for Hood making a connection, the situation could have turned worse.
But Hood isn’t seeking credit. He wants that to go to the police department’s liaison officers who helped keep the school safe.
“Officers Matthews and Pedraza did a wonderful job that day, they protected everybody. I’m just glad that he didn’t get hurt, somebody else didn’t get hurt, or multiple people, you know, didn’t get hurt.”
Ziggy Hood praising the officers on duty
If there’s one message Hood has to share from the experience it’s to “talk to somebody.” As he says, “You don’t want to make a permanent decision based off a temporary motion.”