T. J. Hockenson

Last updated

T. J. Hockenson
TJ Hockenson 2019.png
Hockenson in 2019
No. 87 – Minnesota Vikings
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1997-07-03) July 3, 1997 (age 26)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school: Chariton (Chariton, Iowa)
College: Iowa (2016–2018)
NFL Draft: 2019  / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:341
Receiving yards:3,547
Receiving touchdowns:23
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Thomas James Hockenson (born July 3, 1997) is an American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round (eighth selection overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Iowa. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, he was awarded the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in college football.

Contents

Early years

Hockenson grew up in Cherokee, Iowa, moving back to Chariton, Iowa in his teenage years where he attended Chariton High School and played football and basketball. He was a four-year letter winner as a tight end and defensive back, and set school records for receiving yards in a game, season, and career. He led his team to the state playoffs as a senior and was named all-state first team that year. [1] Hockenson was rated as a three-star recruit and the seventh-highest rated recruit in the state of Iowa in the class of 2016 by the 247Sports.com Composite, which aggregates the ratings of the major football recruiting services. [2] He committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes on June 20, 2015. [3]

College career

Hockenson redshirted his true freshman year in 2016. He was one of two tight ends in the starting lineup in Iowa's 2017 opener against Wyoming, along with Noah Fant. He recorded his first career receptions the next week against Iowa State, finishing with two catches for 41 yards in the game. [1] He had his best game of the year in Iowa's upset victory over then-No. 3 Ohio State, where he led the team with five receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns. [4] Hockenson ultimately finished fifth on the team on the year with 24 receptions for 320 yards and three receiving touchdowns. [5]

Hockenson was listed on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award going into the 2018 season, as was teammate Noah Fant. [6] In an early season loss to rival Wisconsin, Hockenson set a career high with 125 receiving yards, including a 46-yard connection from quarterback Nate Stanley. [7] He again eclipsed the 100-yard mark in an October 13 game against Indiana, where he recorded four receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. [8] He ultimately finished the season with 46 receptions for 717 yards and six receiving touchdowns, leading the Hawkeyes in the first two categories and finishing one receiving touchdown behind Fant for the team lead. He was named first-team All-Big Ten Conference at tight end by the media voters, and second-team behind Fant by the coaches. He also won the Big Ten's tight end of the year award, the Kwalick–Clark Award. [9] Hockenson was awarded the John Mackey Award, honoring him as the top tight end in college football in 2018. [10] He is the second Hawkeye to receive the award, after Dallas Clark in 2002, and the first sophomore.

On January 14, 2019, Hockenson announced via Twitter that he would be leaving school early to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft. [11]

Statistics

Iowa Hawkeyes
SeasonReceivingRushing
RecYdsAvgTDAttYdsAvgTD
2016 Redshirt.svg Redshirt
2017 2432013.33000.00
2018 4671715.66144.01
Totals [12] 701,03714.89144.01

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4+3⁄4 in
(1.95 m)		251 lb
(114 kg)		32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m)		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		4.70 s1.64 s2.75 s4.18 s7.02 s37.5 in
(0.95 m)		10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)		17 reps
All values from NFL Combine [13]

Detroit Lions

Hockenson was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round as the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. [14] On May 9, 2019, Hockenson signed a four-year deal with the Lions worth $19.8 million. [15] He played his first regular season game on September 8, 2019 against the Arizona Cardinals. He finished the game with six receptions for 131 receiving yards and a touchdown as the game ended in a 27–27 tie. Hockenson's 131 yards were the most in a debut for a tight end in NFL history. [16] In Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hockenson caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game with a concussion. Without Hockenson, the Lions lost 34–30. [17] He was placed on injured reserve on December 2, 2019. [18] He finished the season with 32 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns. [19]

Hockenson was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Lions on July 29, 2020, [20] and was activated 10 days later. [21] He made his return from injury in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. During the game, Hockenson caught five passes for 56 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season as the Lions lost 27–23. [22] On October 25, in a Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Hockenson caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford as time expired, giving the Lions their third victory of the season. [23] On December 21, 2020, he was named to the 2021 Pro Bowl. [24]

Hockenson entered the 2021 season as the Lions starting tight end. He was placed on injured reserve on December 17, 2021 after undergoing thumb surgery. He finished the season with 61 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns through 12 games.

The Lions picked up the fifth-year option on Hockenson's contract on April 26, 2022. [25] In the Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Hockenson set the all-time Lions record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end, gaining 179 yards on eight receptions in the 48–45 loss. This broke the record of 161 yards set by Jim Gibbons on December 13, 1964. [26]

Minnesota Vikings

On November 1, 2022, the Lions traded Hockenson along with a 2023 fourth-round draft pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round draft pick. [27]

On August 31, 2023, Hockenson signed a four-year, $68.5 million contract extension with the Vikings. [28]

On December 27, 2023, Hockenson was placed on the injured reserve list after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in a Week 16 game against the Detroit Lions the previous Sunday. [29] [30]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2019 DET 1273236711.539200
2020 DET 16166772310.851611
2021 DET 1212615839.633400
2022 DET 772639515.281300
MIN 107605198.721311
2023 MIN 15119596010.129511
Career 72603413,54710.4812333

Postseason

YearTeamGamesReceivingFumbles
GPGSRecYdsAvgLngTDFumLost
2022 MIN 111012912.928000
Career 111012912.928000

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Clark</span> American football player (born 1979)

Dallas Dean Clark is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning unanimous All-American honors and recognition as the top college tight end in the nation. He was selected by Indianapolis in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft and he was a member of their Super Bowl XLI championship team against the Chicago Bears. He also played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens.

Kevin Joseph Kasper is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.

LeVar Woods is the special teams coach at the University of Iowa, where he played linebacker during his college career. As a professional football player, he was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, played for a season and a half with the Detroit Lions (2005–2006), and finished his career with the Tennessee Titans (2006–2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Gibbons (American football)</span> American football player (1936–2016)

James Edwin Gibbons was an American professional football tight end for the NFL's Detroit Lions (1958–68).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Reichow</span> American football player (born 1934)

Garet Neal Reichow is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). A 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) college football player for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Reichow was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1956 NFL Draft. He was one of two Minnesota Vikings selected to the Pro Bowl after their inaugural 1961 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Rudolph</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kyle Daniel Rudolph is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls. He also played for the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riley Reiff</span> American football player (born 1988)

Riley Reiff is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round, 23rd overall of the 2012 NFL Draft. He previously played for the Lions from 2012 to 2016 and the Minnesota Vikings from 2017 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Eifert</span> American football player (born 1990)

Tyler Gregory Eifert is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, receiving first-team All-American honors and winning the John Mackey Award as the top college tight end in 2012. Eifert was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Ertz</span> American football player (born 1990)

Zachary Adam Ertz is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2012. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl LII with the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Bell</span> American football player (born 1991)

Blake Bell is an American football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he received the nickname "Belldozer", a play on words due to his large frame and running style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Ebron</span> American football player (born 1993)

Eric Ebron is a former American football tight end. He played college football at North Carolina, and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has also previously played for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Gesicki</span> American football player (born 1995)

Michael William Gesicki is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State. He is the record holder for most receptions by a tight end in Penn State history. He was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Kittle</span> American football player (born 1993)

George Krieger Kittle is an American football tight end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and was a First-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Golladay</span> American football player (born 1993)

Kenneth Golladay is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He has previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. He played college football at North Dakota and Northern Illinois and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with the Lions in 2019.

The 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by Kirk Ferentz in his 20th season as head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Fant</span> American football player (born 1997)

Noah Fant is an American football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa, and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irv Smith Jr.</span> American football player (born 1998)

Irvin Martin Smith Jr. is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama and was drafted in second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Vikings.

Jared Pinkney is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Vanderbilt and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. He also played for the Tennessee Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Pitts</span> American football player (born 2000)

Kyle Anthony Pitts is an American football tight end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida, where he was named a unanimous All-American and won the John Mackey Award in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam LaPorta</span> American football player (born 2001)

Samuel Joseph LaPorta is an American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was named the Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year in 2022. He was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With the Lions, he broke the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end. He also broke franchise records for receiving touchdowns by a rookie, and receiving yards and receptions by a rookie tight end.

References

  1. 1 2 "Iowa Football Roster: T.J. Hockenson". HawkeyeSports.com. University of Iowa Athletics. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ "T.J. Hockenson recruiting profile". 247Sports.com . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ "T.J. Hockenson , 2016 Tight end". Rivals.com . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ Allan, James (November 4, 2017). "Iowa Routs No. 3 Ohio State 55–24". HawkeyesSports.com. University of Iowa Athletics. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  5. ↑ "2017 Iowa Hawkeyes Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  6. ↑ "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). JohnMackeyAward.com. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Batterson, Steve (September 22, 2018). "Hawkeyes fall to Wisconsin comeback". Dispatch-Argus. Rock Island, IL. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Stanley propels Iowa to 42–16 victory over Indiana". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 13, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ "2018 All-Big Ten Football Teams and Individual Award Recipients" (PDF). BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  10. ↑ Hendrickson, Dan (December 5, 2018). "T.J. Hockenson wins Mackey Award as nation's top tight end". WHOtv.com. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  11. ↑ Tabbert, Nick (January 14, 2019). "T.J. Hockenson declares for NFL draft". KCCI.com. Hearst Television. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  12. ↑ "T.J. Hockenson College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ "NFL Draft & Combine Profile – Thomas Hockenson". NFL.com. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  14. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (April 25, 2019). "Detroit Lions draft tight end T.J. Hockenson". detroitlions.com. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ Zucker, Joseph. "T.J. Hockenson Signs 4-Year Rookie Contract with Lions Worth Estimated $19.8M". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  16. ↑ Thomas, Chris (September 8, 2019). "Detroit Lions' T.J. Hockenson sets NFL record in debut". USA Today. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Chiefs score late, stay undefeated with 34–30 win over Lions". www.espn.com. Associated Press. September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  18. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (December 2, 2019). "Lions place rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson on Reserve/Injured". DetroitLions.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  19. ↑ "T.J. Hockenson 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  20. ↑ Rogers, Justin (July 29, 2020). "Kenny Golladay, T.J. Hockenson among Lions placed on COVID reserve list". DetroitNews.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  21. ↑ "T.J. Hockenson among 3 Lions removed from COVID-19 reserve list". DetroitNews.com. August 8, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – September 13th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons – October 25th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  24. ↑ Birkett, Dave (December 21, 2020). "Detroit Lions have three 2020 Pro Bowlers: T.J. Hockenson, Frank Ragnow, Jack Fox". The Detroit News . Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Fifth-year option tracker for first-round picks from the 2019 NFL Draft". NFL.com.
  26. ↑ Meinke, Kyle (October 3, 2022). "Lions TE T.J. Hockenson sets franchise receiving record that had stood since 1964". MLive.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  27. ↑ Peters, Craig (November 1, 2022). "Vikings Acquire TE T.J. Hockenson; Place Smith on IR". Vikings.com. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  28. ↑ Shook, Nick (August 31, 2023). "Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson agrees to terms on contract extension". NFL.com.
  29. ↑ "Hockenson among four key Vikings hurt in loss". ESPN.com. December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  30. ↑ "The #Vikings have officially placed TE T.J. Hockenson and OLB D.J. Wonnum on IR". December 27, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.