why is that? or is that just a rose bowl joke?Ed McCaffrey's old number, one of the heroes of my '97-'98 Broncos (not a big fan of his boy Christian, though).
TIGHT END U. TJ Hockenson #8 OVERALL & Noah Fant #20 OVERALL,1st Round 2019 NFL Draft
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
'The Lion King' and Disney-loving T.J. Hockenson made for Lions
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- It wasn't a subliminal message or a hoped-out, thought-out plan when T.J. Hockenson was packing for Nashville earlier this week to attend the NFL draft. He looked in his pile of socks and, the Disney aficionado that he is, made a quick decision.
He didn't know then how prescient it would end up being. Hockenson wore "The Lion King" socks last night during the first round of the NFL draft. When the No. 8 pick came along, the Detroit Lions selected the tight end, making the wearer of the socks an actual Detroit Lion.
Not that wearing the socks of his favorite movie was even planned. Before an event where suits were custom-tailored and fashion choices were analyzed greatly, Hockenson thought "these socks are pretty sweet" and decided he would wear them.
It was just the latest sign that perhaps Detroit was his destination. The signs went deeper, too. He said in Little League baseball, he played for the Tigers -- Old English D on his cap and everything. Playing NHL video games as a kid, he usually used the Red Wings (and with good reason -- the Wings were often one of the better teams in the game). Now, if he plays Madden with the Lions, he'll be able to use himself on a different Detroit team as a dual-threat tight end the franchise drafted to improve the blocking and receiving at the position while giving Matthew Stafford a strong option.
Matt Patricia said they had his draft card ready to go immediately when Hockenson was still there at No. 8 -- a strong signal he was high on their draft board, even with Ed Oliver as another option. Patricia praised Hockenson's "fit" in the organization and said it was "a perfect match."
And that all turned a somewhat random connection between the city of Detroit and a kid from Chariton, Iowa, into one that now has a lot more validity, creating a real bond that didn't exist 24 hours ago.
"The sock choice was completely by coincidence," Hockenson said. "'The Lion King' has been my favorite movie ever since I was little and (I like) Disney, so I was like, 'Let's do it.' It's awesome.
"There's a lot of signs that came to this, with the dropping of the puckand then the socks, and all I have is blue, so I was meant to be here and I'm excited to start."
He has a bunch of different Disney pairs and he's a fan of all the movies and cartoons. His dog's name? Lilo, from "Lilo & Stitch," of which he also has a pair of socks for the movie. He’s been to Disney "a few times," and called it "the best place on Earth." Favorite ride? Space Mountain, which he calls "a classic."
"I know, that's a commercial," Hockenson joked. "Put (an) ad next to that."
Related video:
www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26607522
Michael RothsteinESPN Staff Writer
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- It wasn't a subliminal message or a hoped-out, thought-out plan when T.J. Hockenson was packing for Nashville earlier this week to attend the NFL draft. He looked in his pile of socks and, the Disney aficionado that he is, made a quick decision.
He didn't know then how prescient it would end up being. Hockenson wore "The Lion King" socks last night during the first round of the NFL draft. When the No. 8 pick came along, the Detroit Lions selected the tight end, making the wearer of the socks an actual Detroit Lion.
Not that wearing the socks of his favorite movie was even planned. Before an event where suits were custom-tailored and fashion choices were analyzed greatly, Hockenson thought "these socks are pretty sweet" and decided he would wear them.
It was just the latest sign that perhaps Detroit was his destination. The signs went deeper, too. He said in Little League baseball, he played for the Tigers -- Old English D on his cap and everything. Playing NHL video games as a kid, he usually used the Red Wings (and with good reason -- the Wings were often one of the better teams in the game). Now, if he plays Madden with the Lions, he'll be able to use himself on a different Detroit team as a dual-threat tight end the franchise drafted to improve the blocking and receiving at the position while giving Matthew Stafford a strong option.
Matt Patricia said they had his draft card ready to go immediately when Hockenson was still there at No. 8 -- a strong signal he was high on their draft board, even with Ed Oliver as another option. Patricia praised Hockenson's "fit" in the organization and said it was "a perfect match."
And that all turned a somewhat random connection between the city of Detroit and a kid from Chariton, Iowa, into one that now has a lot more validity, creating a real bond that didn't exist 24 hours ago.
"The sock choice was completely by coincidence," Hockenson said. "'The Lion King' has been my favorite movie ever since I was little and (I like) Disney, so I was like, 'Let's do it.' It's awesome.
"There's a lot of signs that came to this, with the dropping of the puckand then the socks, and all I have is blue, so I was meant to be here and I'm excited to start."
He has a bunch of different Disney pairs and he's a fan of all the movies and cartoons. His dog's name? Lilo, from "Lilo & Stitch," of which he also has a pair of socks for the movie. He’s been to Disney "a few times," and called it "the best place on Earth." Favorite ride? Space Mountain, which he calls "a classic."
"I know, that's a commercial," Hockenson joked. "Put (an) ad next to that."
Related video:
www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26607522
Last edited:
Broncos hope tight end Noah Fant can have immediate impact
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Tight end Noah Fant didn't need to be in Denver long to understand the expectations awaiting him as the Broncos' first-round pick.
"I'm starting to get a real good idea, coming in here, football is very important here," Fant said. "I hadn't been to Denver very many times before this, but I can tell just from the city, you know, how touted the team is … right when I got off the plane here, people were waiting around the baggage claim for pictures and things like that. Obviously that's pretty special."
Fant, selected by the Broncos with the 20th pick of the draft Thursday night, has already carved out a little slice of franchise history. He is the first tight end selected by the team in the first round since Riley Odoms at No. 5 in 1972, which was 25 years before Fant was born.
Fant arrives to a team starved for impact at the position. The Broncos haven’t had a tight end finish a season with more than 31 catches since 2015 when Owen Daniels had 46 receptions and three touchdowns. A Broncos tight end hasn't been selected to the Pro Bowl since Julius Thomas in 2014.
It certainly hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The Broncos had used three draft picks in the past four drafts combined on tight ends only to see all three -- Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli -- each miss at least one season with injuries. Butt has missed all but three games in his first two seasons combined.
Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway made it clear Fant, who finished his career at Iowa with 19 touchdown catches, 18 of those over the last two seasons, brings immediate impact.
"We feel good about the other tight ends we have with Heuerman, Butt and Fumagalli coming back and doing well," Elway said. "We just felt that adding Noah to that group -- obviously we've have some health issues in that position -- we just thought that what he brings to us in that situation, he can play three downs for us. Ultimately, you know he really can run. To have a guy that big and that size and really stretch the field."
At 6-foot-4⅛ and 249 pounds with 4.50 speed in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine -- faster than 17 wide receivers who ran in Indianapolis -- Fant fits the Broncos' offense. Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who was the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers before joining Vic Fangio's staff, has said he wants impact from the position.
Niners tight end George Kittle, also out of Iowa, was selected to the Pro Bowl after finishing with 88 receptions, 1,377 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns last season. Those totals included seven receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown last Dec. 9.
Fant said he doesn’t want to be considered a receiving-only tight end and has spoken to Kittle in the pre-draft process.
"I would consider myself a tight end through and through," Fant said. "I love blocking, I love catching touchdowns and I love doing whatever is asked of me."
Related video:
www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26463444
Jeff LegwoldESPN Senior Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Tight end Noah Fant didn't need to be in Denver long to understand the expectations awaiting him as the Broncos' first-round pick.
"I'm starting to get a real good idea, coming in here, football is very important here," Fant said. "I hadn't been to Denver very many times before this, but I can tell just from the city, you know, how touted the team is … right when I got off the plane here, people were waiting around the baggage claim for pictures and things like that. Obviously that's pretty special."
Fant, selected by the Broncos with the 20th pick of the draft Thursday night, has already carved out a little slice of franchise history. He is the first tight end selected by the team in the first round since Riley Odoms at No. 5 in 1972, which was 25 years before Fant was born.
Fant arrives to a team starved for impact at the position. The Broncos haven’t had a tight end finish a season with more than 31 catches since 2015 when Owen Daniels had 46 receptions and three touchdowns. A Broncos tight end hasn't been selected to the Pro Bowl since Julius Thomas in 2014.
It certainly hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The Broncos had used three draft picks in the past four drafts combined on tight ends only to see all three -- Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli -- each miss at least one season with injuries. Butt has missed all but three games in his first two seasons combined.
Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway made it clear Fant, who finished his career at Iowa with 19 touchdown catches, 18 of those over the last two seasons, brings immediate impact.
"We feel good about the other tight ends we have with Heuerman, Butt and Fumagalli coming back and doing well," Elway said. "We just felt that adding Noah to that group -- obviously we've have some health issues in that position -- we just thought that what he brings to us in that situation, he can play three downs for us. Ultimately, you know he really can run. To have a guy that big and that size and really stretch the field."
At 6-foot-4⅛ and 249 pounds with 4.50 speed in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine -- faster than 17 wide receivers who ran in Indianapolis -- Fant fits the Broncos' offense. Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who was the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers before joining Vic Fangio's staff, has said he wants impact from the position.
Niners tight end George Kittle, also out of Iowa, was selected to the Pro Bowl after finishing with 88 receptions, 1,377 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns last season. Those totals included seven receptions for 210 yards and a touchdown last Dec. 9.
Fant said he doesn’t want to be considered a receiving-only tight end and has spoken to Kittle in the pre-draft process.
"I would consider myself a tight end through and through," Fant said. "I love blocking, I love catching touchdowns and I love doing whatever is asked of me."
Related video:
www.espn.com/video/clip?id=26463444
Last edited:
I feel like most everything about TJH does not jibe with the way he plays football. It's all an act to fool defenders into sitting on their heels before he knocks someone on their ass and catches the football fifteen yards down field. Detroit fans won't understand what they have until Sundays next fall.
Franisdaman, many thanks for all the work you have done in this thread. Lions and Broncos fans will love these two players; in 2019 and three years from now.
May 10 UPDATE: TJ gets $12.4M SIGNING BONUS, 4 YEAR DEAL WORTH $19.8M
Detroit Lions sign top pick T.J. Hockenson to big rookie contract
Dave Birkett,
Detroit Free Press
Published 4:41 p.m. ET May 9, 2019
In the hours after the Detroit Lions made him the No. 8 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, T.J. Hockenson kept remarking about how "cool" it was "to play football for a living."
"I would play for free," Hockenson said on draft night. "This is awesome."
As of Thursday, Hockenson will officially get paid to play the game he loves.
Hockenson was one of three Lions to sign their rookie contracts Thursday, signing a four-year slotted deal worth $19.8 million that includes a $12.4 million signing bonus.
Hockenson is expected to play a major role for the Lions this fall, likely starting at tight end in a redesigned offense that will feature plenty of two tight end sets.
He led Iowa with 760 yards receiving on 49 catches last year, when he won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end, and was regarded as one of the most complete tight end to enter the draft in the past decade.
For that reason, the Lions made Hockenson the rare high draft pick at the position. In the past 40 years, three other tight ends have gone in the top eight of the draft.
"Really checked every box that we had in terms of the evaluation process from on field, to third down, to red area, to blocking, to special teams, to culture, to intelligence, to work ethic," Quinn said. "You name it, he checked basically every box throughout the whole process."
LINK: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...roit-lions-t-j-hockenson-contract/1155932001/
Detroit Lions sign top pick T.J. Hockenson to big rookie contract
Dave Birkett,
Detroit Free Press
Published 4:41 p.m. ET May 9, 2019
In the hours after the Detroit Lions made him the No. 8 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft, T.J. Hockenson kept remarking about how "cool" it was "to play football for a living."
"I would play for free," Hockenson said on draft night. "This is awesome."
As of Thursday, Hockenson will officially get paid to play the game he loves.
Hockenson was one of three Lions to sign their rookie contracts Thursday, signing a four-year slotted deal worth $19.8 million that includes a $12.4 million signing bonus.
Hockenson is expected to play a major role for the Lions this fall, likely starting at tight end in a redesigned offense that will feature plenty of two tight end sets.
He led Iowa with 760 yards receiving on 49 catches last year, when he won the Mackey Award as college football's top tight end, and was regarded as one of the most complete tight end to enter the draft in the past decade.
For that reason, the Lions made Hockenson the rare high draft pick at the position. In the past 40 years, three other tight ends have gone in the top eight of the draft.
"Really checked every box that we had in terms of the evaluation process from on field, to third down, to red area, to blocking, to special teams, to culture, to intelligence, to work ethic," Quinn said. "You name it, he checked basically every box throughout the whole process."
LINK: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...roit-lions-t-j-hockenson-contract/1155932001/
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