Former Hinds Eagle football standout and current wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, KhaDarel Hodge (D'Lo), is set to make his Super Bowl debut Sunday, February 3 when the Rams take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.
Hodge makes his first Super Bowl appearance in his rookie campaign following a regular season where his Rams went 11-3 overall to earn a first place seed and a buy in the NFL Playoffs. So far the Rams have gone a perfect 2-0 in the playoffs defeating the Dallas Cowboys (30-22) and the New Orleans Saints (26-23). This marks the first time the Rams have reached the Super Bowl since 2002 when they also took on the Patriots.
Hodge played one season at Hinds (2014) where he made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver. From Hinds, Hodge transferred to Prairie View A&M where he started for three seasons and racked up 104 receptions, 1,797 yards and 21 touchdowns in 30 games played. As a senior in 2017, Hodge earned first-team All-SWAC honors. Hodge was signed on July 24, 2018 by the Los Angeles Rams and currently on their playoff roster at wide receiver.
The last Eagle alumni to play in the Super Bowl was Malcolm Butler in 2015 in Super Bowl XLIX. Butler played for the New England Patriots and made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history when with just 26 seconds remaining he intercepted Russell Wilson's pass from the one-yard line in the end zone to save the game and seal a 28-24 victory for the Patriots over the Seahawks.
You can watch Hodge and the Rams as the take on the Patriots (Feb. 3) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS.