KhaDarel Hodge, a wide receiver and special teams player for the Atlanta Falcons, continues to draw attention to his Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) roots as he advances in his NFL career. In October, Hodge wore a custom letterman jacket featuring HBCU patches while traveling with the team, which sparked online conversations about his background.
Since joining the NFL, Hodge has been an advocate for HBCUs. His journey began at Alcorn State before moving to Hinds Community College and ultimately Prairie View A&M. At Prairie View A&M, he accumulated 1,797 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, earning first-team All-SWAC honors and recognition as a Black College All-American.
“This is where I grew up,” Hodge said during a recent visit to Prairie View A&M for Black History Month. “I became a man here at PV.”
Hodge went undrafted in 2018 but was not surprised by this outcome. “I know that HBCU athletes are slept on,” he said. “You just gotta take that to heart and you have to look at it like I’m just as good as those guys, no matter how much work I gotta put in, I’m going to keep proving to you and whoever else said I can’t do it, to show that I can do it and I am good enough.”
After spending time with several teams—including the Rams, Browns, and Lions—Hodge joined the Falcons in 2022. He has become known as both a reliable depth receiver and one of the league’s top special teams contributors.
“We’re D1 just like y’all are D1,” Hodge said of fellow HBCU players. “(Other programs) probably have a little more resources than we have right now, but we are just as good as you are. We are prideful about what we do.”
The visibility of HBCUs is growing through increased funding and initiatives such as the annual NFL HBCU Combine launched in 2022. Organizations like HBCU Elite—which partnered with Hodge during My Cause My Cleats week—are also helping raise awareness.
Despite these efforts, representation remains limited: nearly 10% of Pro Football Hall of Fame members attended an HBCU—35 out of 371 members—even though few current players come from these institutions.
Several notable NFL figures hail from HBCUs: Jerry Rice attended Mississippi Valley State; Michael Strahan played at Texas Southern; Bob Hayes went to Florida A&M; Walter Payton graduated from Jackson State.
Reflecting on his experience at Prairie View A&M, Hodge said: “I came here lost. I didn’t really know what I was going to as far as my football career or academically so this is where I grew up, where I found who I was. I disciplined myself. So when I come back here it’s always smiles, good times. I get chills every time I walk on the field.”
The Atlanta Falcons play in the National Football League’s NFC South Division after being founded in 1965 as an expansion franchise. The team is based in Atlanta, Georgia according to their official website. The Falcons have made Super Bowl appearances twice—in 1998 and again in 2016—and Freddie the Falcon serves as their mascot according to their official website.