Atlanta Falcons Honor HBCU Football and Highlight Alumnus KhaDarel Hodge's Journey

During Black History Month, the Atlanta Falcons demonstrated their commitment to recognizing the rich history and enduring significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the NFL.

The organization traveled to Prairie View A&M University, the alma mater of Falcons wide receiver and Pro Bowl special teamer KhaDarel Hodge. This visit, documented through team video and editorial coverage, offered a rare inside look at how one HBCU helped shape an NFL career—and why those roots still matter deeply to the HBCU community.

From Small-Town Mississippi to the NFL

Hodge's path to the league was never linear. He grew up in a Mississippi town of roughly 300 people and initially committed to Alcorn State, inspired by his late cousin, NFL legend Steve McNair.

"I started out at Alcorn," Hodge said in the Falcons' video. "That was my decision coming out of high school because my late cousin Steve McNair was a quarterback, and I was a quarterback."

After a redshirt season and a stop at junior college, Hodge found his footing at Prairie View A&M—where his career, and identity, took shape.

"This is where I grew up," Hodge said during his visit. "I became a man here at PV."

By the time Hodge finished his college career, he had totaled 1,797 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, earning first-team All-SWAC honors and Black College All-American recognition.

"I came here an athletic student," Hodge said in the video. "I left a student-athlete. They didn't play about the grades."

Changing the Narrative Around HBCUs

Throughout the Falcons' feature, Hodge directly addressed how HBCU athletes are viewed—and undervalued—within the broader football ecosystem.

"I know that HBCU athletes are slept on," Hodge said. "You just gotta take that to heart."

Despite going undrafted in 2018, Hodge carved out an NFL career through persistence, eventually landing in Atlanta in 2022 and establishing himself as one of the league's most reliable special teams contributors.

The Falcons' feature also underscored how systemic change is slowly taking place, with the NFL launching its annual HBCU Combine in 2022 and organizations like HBCU Elite increasing exposure for these talented players.

HBCUs and the NFL's Foundation

The Falcons' article placed Hodge's story within a larger historical context—one that many fans may not fully realize.

• Since 2010, only 36 HBCU players have been drafted into the NFL.
• Yet nearly 10% of the Pro Football Hall of Fame members attended HBCUs, including legends like Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern), Bob Hayes (Florida A&M), and Walter Payton (Jackson State).

As the Falcons noted, these institutions remain "essential threads in the fabric of the NFL's history."

Originally reported by HBCU Gameday.