T. J. Hockenson

Thomas James Hockenson (born July 3, 1997) is an American football tight end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, he was awarded the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in college football.

Early years
Hockenson grew up in Chariton, Iowa, where he attended Chariton High School. He was a four-year letter winner in football 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. 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. He committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes on June 20, 2015.

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. 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. Hockenson ultimately finished fifth on the team on the year with 24 receptions for 320 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Hockenson was listed on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award going into the 2018 season, as was teammate Noah Fant. 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. 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. 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 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. Hockenson was awarded the John Mackey Award, honoring him as the top tight end in college football in 2018. 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.

Statistics
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Professional career
Hockenson was drafted by the Detroit Lions eighth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. On May 9, 2019, Hockenson signed a four-year deal with the Lions worth $19.8 million.