Q&A: Patriots tight end Austin Hooper on returning to The Farm and Super Bowl LX

For Austin Hooper ’17, the road to Super Bowl LX has been anything but linear — and this time, it comes with a return home.

A Bay Area native and Stanford alum, Hooper is set to make his second Super Bowl appearance, now with the New England Patriots. His first came nearly a decade ago during his rookie year as an Atlanta Falcon in Super Bowl LI, a loss that has since become one of the most infamous games in NFL history. This week, however, Hooper’s Super Bowl journey brought him back to familiar ground, as the Patriots practice on Stanford’s campus.

Speaking with Joanne dePierre of The Daily during Opening Night of Super Bowl LX at the San Jose Convention Center, Hooper reflected on what it meant to return to The Farm as a veteran NFL tight end preparing for football’s biggest stage.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

The Stanford Daily (TSD): First of all, congratulations on making it to Super Bowl LX. What does it feel like being back on campus this week with the Patriots practicing on the Farm?

Austin Hooper (AH): It’s unbelievable to be walking through that tunnel again. It brought back a lot of awesome memories. I really enjoy the opportunity to be back on campus. As a student, you don’t appreciate it until you leave — and then you come back and you’re like, ‘alright, yeah, this place truly is special.’ You kind of get desensitized to it after a few years, and then you’re away from it and you come back and you’re like, ‘this place is incredible.’ So I’m very grateful.

TSD: I always like to ask alumni this: what did you gain from Stanford off the field that’s translated into your professional career?

AH: I mean, all my teachers within football — David Shaw, Mike Bloomgren, Morgan Turner, Tavita Pritchard — all those guys were tremendous teachers. Being able to be around those kinds of men and see what they stand for, I couldn’t have been more grateful to have those teachers at a young age.

TSD: Switching gears a little — favorite study spot or favorite location on campus?

AH: Oh man. Favorite location on campus… the library. The old library (Meyer Library). That was my spot. They blew it up after my sophomore year, but that used to be my favorite.

TSD: Favorite and least favorite dining halls?

AH: That’s like 11 years ago — I couldn’t tell you. But I do know the business school was the only spot where you could get consistently good food. That was the one guarantee.

As Hooper prepares for another chance at a Lombardi Trophy, his return to Stanford offered a moment to reflect on the place that shaped him before the the long arc of an NFL career unfolded, and before the Super Bowl spotlight.

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