ATLANTA — KhaDarel Hodge tried to fight the tears, and it was no use.
From scoring the game-winning touchdown and being carried by his teammates to answering postgame questions on prime-time television, the Atlanta Falcons wide receiver rode the emotional rollercoaster that followed his team's overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a smile on his face and moisture in his eyes.
"Man," Hodge said. "I've worked hard. The people closest to me know what I've been through and the opportunities I've prayed for. The guys in the locker room, as well. If you ask them, they'll say it's well-deserved because I put in so much work. I know, at times, the opportunities are limited. But it came. And I took full advantage of it."
On the first series of overtime, Hodge caught what was about a 10-yard pass from Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, dodged Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum and sprinted through a gap between wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III and safety Kaevon Merriweather. Three defenders attempted to chase Hodge down but could not catch him. The play went down in the books as a 45-yard walk-off touchdown reception — the Falcons' longest offensive score so far this season.
According to Next Gen Stats, Hodge reached a top speed of 19.7 mph, his second-fastest speed as a ball carrier in 2024.
"Yeah, he's still slow," Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney said. "I don't care. That was so slow, so slow. I'm like, 'Yo, do not get caught.'"
Mooney is surely kidding and had nothing but high praise for his teammate.
"He's just a guy that you know you can trust all the time," Mooney said. "When I first got here, he was the first guy I noticed like if we need a play, 12 is a person that I can trust to make a play."
Mooney was on the field with Hodge at the time of the touchdown. Wide receiver Drake London was not.
Hodge entered the game because London was sidelined with an injury from the play prior. London was ready to go back out there, except he wasn't needed. He knew that as soon as Hodge evaded that first tackle attempt and skirted through the second wave of defenders.
"Once I'd seen him with them high knees going, I was hands up in the air screaming," London said.
Much like Mooney, London believes Hodge has earned the spotlight.
"He just grinds, man," London said. "He doesn't complain. He's just a true team player. When you do everything right, you're going to be rewarded for it."
Hodge had just two receptions against the Buccaneers, but they totaled 67 yards. There was the overtime touchdown. There was also a 22-yarder in the second quarter that was rather impressive, too.
London, meanwhile, had 12 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. Mooney had nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
It was Hodge, though, who was most celebrated.
"I am really excited about who he is and what he's made of and what he's about," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "He's made of everything that our cloth is here in Atlanta. He's about our community. He's about people first. He's about supporting others. He's all that. He's everything we're about."
There's a reason the Falcons re-signed Hodge in the offseason. He's one of two receivers back from 2023. The other is London, who is signed through 2025 on his rookie contract.
Hodge first joined the Falcons in 2022 after four seasons with three different organizations. He was an undrafted free agent in 2018 out of Prairie View A&M, where he spent three seasons after one at Hinds Community College. He's originally from D'Lo, Mississippi, which has a population of 362.
"I'm living the dream that I've always wanted to do, so I'm grateful for that," Hodge said. "I'm on the active roster. I'm playing. No matter how many opportunities I get, I'm getting paid for playing a kid's game. Regardless of the circumstances, I always just sit back and realize where I came from and where I am now, and that's what keeps me going."
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Week 5, presented by Grady.