KhaDarel Hodge is the perfect hero for the Falcons with a game-winning touchdown

ATLANTA — It was a moment that could have been made in Hollywood. KhaDarel Hodge was called off the Atlanta Falcons bench in overtime of an absolutely wild game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and then…

He fainted.

Hodge took a short pass from Kirk Cousins on an easy stop route, eluded a defender, cut down the middle of the field and ran into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown, clinching a 36-30 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sealed.

If Hodge hadn't lived it, he might not have believed it. After all, Hodge would be one of the most unlikely heroes as the fourth receiver in an offense full of star power.

On the other hand, these are the 2024 Falcons, who impress with their talent to win games until the end. By winning three of their last four games this way, the Falcons (3-2) catapulted into first place in the NFC South.

To survive this time, they had to overcome an ugly crunch-time interception by Cousins, get a 52-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo as time expired, win the coin toss in overtime, and then get it from the backup receiver get to the goal.

It seems so fitting that Hodge – a seventh-year pro with his fourth team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent from an HBCU, Prairie View A&M – was the man of the hour, hoisted onto the shoulders of his teammates, when the league was over.

“I can’t make this up,” Hodge said while holding court in a celebratory locker room afterward. “It still feels like a movie to me. I checked in (for) a play and go to the nativity scene? Me? I don't know what to say. When I scored I kind of fainted and I saw the guys coming.”

To bully him. Like a hero.

Again.

Four days earlier, Hodge was hassled in the other end zone after diving into a huddle and recovering a botched punt for a touchdown that turned out to be quite crucial in a win over the New Orleans Saints that came without the The Falcons offense scored a touchdown.

On a night when Cousins broke Matt Ryan's franchise record with 509 yards rushing — ironically in Ryan's presence as he was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor at halftime — Hodge made a lasting impression.

Someone asked him what his most memorable NFL moments were. The question seemed to startle him. He has started seven games in his career. He respectfully confirmed that nothing exceeded Thursday evening's goal.

Then he added a quick factoid.

“This is the first time I’ve actually had two touchdowns in a season,” he said.

Given his career, it's easy to appreciate the dedication of players like Hodge. He was a quarterback at Mendenhall (Mississippi) High School, then played at Alcorn State and Hinds Community College before settling at Prairie View for three years. After breaking out with the Los Angeles Rams, he had stints with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions before landing with the Falcons in 2022.

He knows the odds of him becoming a runaway success are stacked against him. But he's still in the league. Although his offensive skills are limited, he has made a name for himself as an outstanding special teams player.

“It’s great to come from an HBCU,” he said. “Every year you fight for a spot on the roster, the fourth or fifth receiver. You have to have the attitude of, ‘I have to get myself out of the muck and take advantage of every opportunity, whether it’s on (special) teams or on offense.’ You have to have that attitude to not give up.”

Do not give up. That's certainly a fair representation of these Falcons, but it also captures the game-winning play. Hodge claims that as a player who has few opportunities to touch the football, he always thinks about trying to catch it from distance.

On his made-for-Hollywood play, Hodge had 41 yards YAC (yards after catch) after breaking free from Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum, who took a poor angle in his man-to-man coverage.

“Then I have a little speed,” said Hodge. “The boys teased me and said I almost got caught. I have to watch the movie.”

In another corner of the locker room, fellow wide receiver Darnell Mooney jokingly kept up the story.

“He ran super slow,” Mooney said. “But I’m so proud of the guy.”

Hodge can watch the replay again and again. And it will be just as sweet to star in a Hollywood ending that happened in real life.

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