Wikipedia

Austin Hooper

Austin Manuel Hooper (born October 29, 1994) is an American professional football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford, and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.

Austin Hooper
refer to caption
Hooper with the Cleveland Browns in 2021
No. 81 – New England Patriots
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1994-10-29) October 29, 1994 (age 30)
San Mateo, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school:De La Salle
(Concord, California)
College:Stanford (2013–2015)
NFL draft:2016 / round: 3 / pick: 81
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2024
Receptions:370
Receiving yards:3,770
Receiving touchdowns:26
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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After leaving Pine Valley Middle School in San Ramon, California, and graduating from St. Raymond School in Dublin, California, Hooper attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California, where he played for the football team. He was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit and committed to Stanford University to play college football.[1][2] Hooper was listed as a defensive end by Rivals and also by ESPN who had him rated as a four-star recruit and the #261 player overall in the nation regardless of position.

College career

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After redshirting his first year at Stanford in 2013, Hooper played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2014.[3][4] He finished the season with 40 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns.[5] As a sophomore in 2015, Hooper had 34 receptions for 438 yards for six touchdowns, including a career best 79 yards and a touchdown in an upset of then #6 USC.[6][7] He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award,[8] and First-team All-Pac-12 Conference.[9]

College statistics

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Season Team Conf Class Pos GP Receiving
Rec Yds Avg TD
2014 Stanford Pac-12 FR TE 13 40 499 12.5 2
2015 Stanford Pac-12 SO TE 13 34 438 12.9 6
Career 26 74 937 12.7 8

Professional career

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Pre-draft

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On January 4, 2016, it was announced that Hooper would enter the 2016 NFL draft, forfeiting his last two years of eligibility. Hooper came to the decision after discussing it with his head coach David Shaw and his family. He chose to declare due to the draft class being really thin at tight end and his draft stock being high after coming off an impressive season.[10] He was one of 15 tight ends to receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.[11] He had an overall impressive performance, finishing third among all tight ends in the 40-yard dash, fourth in the bench press, fifth in the three-cone drill, and finished sixth among his position group in the vertical.[12] On March 17, 2016, Hooper opted to participate at Stanford's Pro Day and chose to only perform positional drills for scouts and team representatives from all 32 NFL teams, that also included San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly and Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.[13][14] Throughout the pre-draft process, Hooper attended private workouts and visits with the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, and Tennessee Titans.[15][16] Hooper was projected to be a second or third round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the second best tight end prospect in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com and the third best tight end by Sports Illustrated and NFL analyst Mike Mayock.[17][18][19]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 3+3⁄4 in
(1.92 m) 		254 lb
(115 kg) 		33+3⁄4 in
(0.86 m) 		10+5⁄8 in
(0.27 m)		 4.72 s 1.63 s 2.75 s 4.32 s 7.00 s 33 in
(0.84 m)		 9 ft 9 in
(2.97 m)		 19 reps 29[20]
All values from NFL Combine[21]

Atlanta Falcons

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2016 season

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Hooper at training camp with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.

The Falcons selected Hooper in the third round (81st overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.[22] He was the second tight end selected, behind Arkansas' Hunter Henry who the San Diego Chargers selected in the second round (35th overall).[23][24] Hooper was reunited with former Stanford teammate Levine Toilolo.

On May 5, 2016, the Falcons signed Hooper to a four-year, $3.21 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $773,428.[25]

Throughout his first training camp, Hooper competed with Levine Toilolo and Jacob Tamme for job as the starting tight end.[26] Head coach Dan Quinn named him the third tight end on the Falcons' depth chart behind Tamme and Toilolo.[27]

Hooper made his NFL debut in the Falcons' season-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made the first catch of his career on a 14-yard pass by Matt Ryan in the third quarter before being tackled by Buccaneers' safety Bradley McDougald during a 31–24 loss.[28] On October 2, Hooper caught his first NFL touchdown on a 42-yard pass by Matt Ryan in a 48–33 victory over the Carolina Panthers.[29] During a Week 8 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Hooper earned his first NFL start and had a season-high five receptions for 41 yards in a narrow 33–32 victory.[30] Starting tight end Jacob Tamme suffered a shoulder injury during the game and was placed on injured/reserve for the remainder of the season on November 21, 2016.[31] The following week, he made three receptions for 46 yards and scored on a two-yard pass from Matt Ryan as the Falcons routed the Buccaneers 43–28.[32] In Week 15, Hooper caught a nine-yard pass during a 41–13 victory over the 49ers, but left after suffering a grade-2 knee sprain that caused him to miss the remaining two games of the regular season.[33] He finished his only season under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in the 2016 season with 19 receptions for 271 receiving yards and three touchdowns in three starts and 14 games.[34][35]

The Falcons finished the 2016 season atop the NFC South with an 11-5 record. On January 14, 2017, Hooper appeared in his first playoff game and caught a ten-yard pass as the Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36–20 in the NFC Wild Card Round.[36] After the Falcons defeated the Packers in the NFC Championship, they went on to face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.[37] During the game, Hooper made three receptions for 32 yards and scored a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the Falcons 34–28 overtime loss.[38]

2017 season

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Hooper entered training camp slated as the starting tight end after the retirement of Jacob Tamme. He was named the starting tight end to begin the regular season under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.[39]

Hooper started the Falcons' season-opener at the Chicago Bears and made two receptions for a career-high 128 receiving yards and caught a career-long 88-yard touchdown reception thrown by quarterback Matt Ryan in a 23–17 victory.[40][41] During a Week 4 contest against the Buffalo Bills, Hooper tied his then career-high with five receptions for 50 receiving yards during a 23–17 loss.[42] On October 15, 2017, he caught a career-high seven passes for 48 yards in the Falcons' 20–17 loss to the Dolphins.[43] At the midpoint of the 16-game season, Hooper was second on the team in receiving yards only to All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones.[44] Overall, Hooper finished the 2017 season with 49 receptions for 526 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.[45]

2018 season

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Hooper remained as the Falcons' starting tight end going into the 2018 season.[46] He scored his first receiving touchdown of the season in Week 2 against the Panthers.[47] In Week 11, against the Cleveland Browns, he had a career-high 10 receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in the loss.[48] He finished the season with 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns.[49] On January 15, 2019, Hooper was named to his first Pro Bowl as a replacement for Eagles tight end Zach Ertz.[50]

2019 season

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In Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, Hooper caught six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons lost 27–24.[51] In Week 4 against the Titans, Hooper caught nine passes for a career-high 130 yards in the 24–10 loss.[52] In Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, Hooper caught 8 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in the 34–33 loss.[53] In Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, Hooper had four receptions for 17 yards and a touchdown in the 26–9 win. Hooper suffered an MCL sprain during the win and was ruled out for the next three games.[54] In Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hooper caught seven passes for 82 yards in the 24–12 win.[55] On January 20, 2020, Hooper was named to his second Pro Bowl as a replacement for 49ers tight end George Kittle.[56] Overall, Hooper finished the 2019 season with 75 receptions for 787 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.[57]

 
Hooper playing against the Steelers in 2021.

Cleveland Browns

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On March 20, 2020, Hooper signed a four-year deal with the Browns.[58] The deal is worth $44 million, with a $10 million signing bonus.[59] Hooper finished the 2020 regular season with 46 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns in his debut season for the Browns.[60] In the Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hooper caught seven passes for 46 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.[61]

Hooper was the starting tight end going into the 2021 season for the Browns.[62] He finished the season with 38 receptions for 345 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.[63] On March 17, 2022, he was released by the Browns.[64]

Tennessee Titans

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Hooper with the Titans in 2022

On March 21, 2022, Hooper signed a one-year contract with the Titans.[65] In the 2022 season, Hooper had 41 receptions for 444 yards and two touchdowns, which both came in Week 11 against the Packers.[66][67]

Las Vegas Raiders

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On March 22, 2023, Hooper signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.[68] In the 2023 season, Hooper had 25 receptions for 234 yards in 17 games and nine starts.[69]

New England Patriots

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On March 14, 2024, Hooper signed with the New England Patriots.[70]

NFL career statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2016 ATL 14 3 19 271 14.3 44 3
2017 ATL 16 8 41 526 12.8 88 3
2018 ATL 16 7 71 660 9.3 36 4
2019 ATL 13 10 75 787 10.5 35 6
2020 CLE 13 13 46 435 9.5 36 4
2021 CLE 16 16 38 345 9.1 34 3
2022 TEN 17 2 41 444 10.8 24 2
2023 LV 17 9 25 234 9.4 21 0
Total 122 68 364 3,702 10.2 88 25

Postseason

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Year Team Games Receiving
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2016 ATL 3 1 6 65 10.8 19 1
2017 ATL 2 2 4 18 4.5 5 0
2020 CLE 2 2 9 62 6.9 11 1
Total 7 5 19 145 7.6 19 2

Personal life

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Hooper is of African-American, Mexican, Irish, Native American and Belgian descent.[71]

References

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  1. ^ "Austin Hooper, 2013 Weakside Defensive End". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "Stanford football receives commitment from top tight end". Palo Alto Online. January 14, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  3. ^ FitzGerald, Tom (July 31, 2014). "Austin Hooper is man to beat at tight end for Stanford". SFGate.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  4. ^ FitzGerald, Tom (December 17, 2014). "Hooper helping re-establish tight end position at Stanford". SFGate.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "Austin Hooper 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  6. ^ "Austin Hooper 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  7. ^ "Stanford at Southern California Box Score, September 19, 2015". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  8. ^ "College football: Christian McCaffrey, Joshua Garnett, Austin Hooper and Michael Carrizosa finalists for awards". Mercury News. Associated Press. November 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Austin Hooper highlights: Talented tight end looking to make an impact on Sundays". Pac-12. March 31, 2016. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Stanford TE Austin Hooper declares for draft". wtop.com. Associated Press. January 4, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ Sharp, Katie (February 11, 2016). "Here's the complete list of players invited to the 2016 NFL Combine, led by 14 from Ohio State". SBNation.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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  63. ^ "Austin Hooper 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  64. ^ "Browns release TE Austin Hooper". ClevelandBrowns.com. March 17, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  65. ^ Wyatt, Jim (March 21, 2022). "Six Things to Know About TE Austin Hooper, Who Has Agreed to Terms on a One-Year Deal With the Titans". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
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  67. ^ "Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers - November 17th, 2022". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  68. ^ "Raiders sign TE Austin Hooper". Raiders.com. March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  69. ^ "Austin Hooper 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  70. ^ "Patriots Sign Four Unrestricted Free Agents". Patriots.com. March 14, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  71. ^ McClure, Vaughn (August 1, 2019). "Austin Hooper soaking up wisdom from Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
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