Former Iowa Star Breaks Brutal Streak in NFL Playoff Game
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson finally ended a pretty rough personal streak during his team's Wild Card Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.
Hockenson logged five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, which marked the first time the former Iowa Hawkeyes star reached the end zone since Nov. 27, 2023.
The 27-year-old suffered a devastating knee injury in Week 16 last year, causing him to miss the first half of the 2024 campaign.
Hockenson returned on Nov. 3 and caught 41 passes for 455 yards in 10 regular-season games, but he was unable to score a touchdown.
Well, that brutal run has finally come to an end, even if it occurred in a blowout loss.
The 27-year-old will now have a full, healthy offseason to recover and get ready for 2025, where he will try to regain his Pro Bowl form.
Hockenson was originally selected by the Detroit Lions with the eighth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Lions before being traded to the Vikings midway through the 2022 season.
The Chariton, Ia. native has made a couple of trips to the Pro Bowl, most recently doing so in 2022 when he hauled in 86 receptions for 914 yards and six scores.
He spent two years at Iowa in 2017 and 2018, amassing 73 catches for 1,080 yards and nine scores. Much of that production came during his final campaign with the Hawkeyes, when he snared 49 balls for 760 yards and six touchdowns.