BIOGRAPHY
Rodney Hudson was born on July 12th, 1989 in Mobile, Alabama. He was a center in the National Football League.
He attended B. C. Rain High School in Mobile, where he was a two-way lineman for the Raiders high school football team. He graded out at 95 percent for his entire senior season with a total of 47 pancake blocks, while also being a standout on defense as he recorded 55 tackles as defensive tackle. He earned All-State first team honors as a junior and senior.
Besides his football commitments, Hudson was forced to work nights at a local Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant to support his single mother throughout high school. Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Hudson was listed as the No. 17 center in the nation. He also received a three-star rating by Scout.com, and ranked 45th on their offensive guard list. He selected Florida State over West Virginia and Southern Miss, among others.
On March 11, 2015, the Oakland Raiders signed Hudson to a five-year, $44.5 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. He finished his first season with the Raiders giving up only eight pressures and starting 13 games. Hudson missed Weeks 10, 12, and 13 with a sprained right ankle and had Tony Bergstrom fill in. Pro Football Focus ranked him the fifth best center in 2015 and graded him as the best pass blocker at center.
Hudson returned as the Raiders' starting center in 2016, started all 16 regular season games, and was the only player on the team to play every offensive snap. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl along with fellow Raider's offensive linemen Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele. On December 19, 2017, Hudson was named to his second Pro Bowl along with fellow Raider offensive linemen Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele for the second straight year.
Hudson, along with a seventh-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on March 17, 2021, in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Hudson announced his retirement on March 5, 2023.
