“He never gave up, no matter what. And now – can you believe it? – that boy is going to play in the Super Bowl.” KhaDarel Hodge’s proud mother said this when her son went to the Super Bowl finals in his rookie year in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams. Although he and his team couldn’t win against the strong Patriots, Hodge’s mother was and is still proud of him.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, KhaDarel Hodge, was born on January 3, 1995 to mom Michelle Hodge at Mississippi, United States. There is no information available about his dad, as neither of them has ever commented on it. However, it’s clear that KhaDarel’s mom has separated from her partner and has raised her four children as a single mother. Besides that, she also got the help from KhaDarel’s grandfather, who is also an important figure in the athlete’s life and a preacher too, to run her house.

From supporting and cheering for her child to hosting his friends at home, KhaDarel Hodge’s momma has always been with the WR. Calling her son “Big Red,” Michelle Hodge talked about the good times when she used to cook for his friends and neighbors, in an early interview. Actually, KhaDarel Hodge grew up in the tight-knit community of D’Lo, Mississippi, a small town with a population of only about 400. It was a place where everyone knew each other, and there wasn’t much beyond a single gas station known as “Buddy’s.”

So, in this small town, KhaDarel’s home was the hangout spot for all the neighborhood kids. His mother, Michelle, fondly recalled how her house was always full of boys. She said, “It was like an addition to the family when I would go in there and cook. I cooked enough for everybody and all of them know me as ‘Ma’.” Besides this, she also stood as a pillar of support for her baby son during his rough time in the league.

Recalling that, Michelle said that once, after being waved off by the Lions, the NFL player was in a bad place mentally. Hence, she didn’t miss a chance to support her child during that struggling phase. And when the athlete signed with the Falcons in 2022, and had his first touchdown after five years, he called his mother to express his excitement.

Michelle Hodge recalled that call during an early interview, saying, “He called me looking all happy skinning and grinning. He said ‘Momma I had my first touchdown after five years’. I said, ‘Well, did you do a dance?’ and he said, ‘I had to play the guitar on them.’” That was such a sweet and blissful moment for the mother and son! This moment also gave a sense of satisfaction to Michelle, who saw her son losing his comfort while “talking to people, even if it’s a therapist” during the rough patch. But that’s not all about her support in KhaDarel Hodge’s life!

KhaDarel Hodge’s mother, Michelle Hodge, had faith during his undrafted year!

KhaDarel Hodge’s journey to the NFL was full of ups and downs. He crushed it at his pro day, running a 4.39 40-yard dash and impressing in the vertical jump and bench press. But despite all that, there was no buzz. The shocking phase came for him when he went undrafted in 2018 and returned home, unsure of what was next.

But when the Rams called him for a workout, he thought it was his big break. But eventually, that literally didn’t work out. So, he returned. Back home, people kept asking him, “What’s next?” But despite all the struggles, Hodge continued to say that he wasn’t giving up. This is also evident in mom Michelle Hodge’s statements, when she said, “You could see that there was a lot of stuff on his mind. But you always have that thought in your mind that if this is what I want to do, then how am I going to go about getting it?”

Hence, with his determination and faith, KhaDarel Hodge kept continuing his preparation for that big moment. And his hard work paid off, when a few weeks later, he got another call from the Rams, asking if he was ready.

However, according to his mom, she was also okay with KhaDarel’s Plan B. At that point, when he wasn’t getting any calls, the athlete also tried to involve himself in a potential modeling career. But once the Rams called, “it was all about football” for him, as per his mother.

Today while recalling all these, KhaDarel Hodge’s mom laughs at the phases in their lives, and she feels pride in calling her “good lookin’ boy” and the Falcons’ star player, her son.