Patriots’ Austin Hooper’s journey again to Tremendous Bowl was curler coaster
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Austin Hooper doesn’t lie awake at evening haunted by 28-3.
However the irony isn’t misplaced on him that his second journey to the Tremendous Bowl — 9 years after the primary as a rookie — comes carrying the jersey of the Patriots, who brought about him and his Falcons teammates a lot ache with their 25-point comeback in Tremendous Bowl 51.
“It occurred the way in which it was alleged to,” Hooper informed The Publish.
How did it occur that he’s on the opposite facet now?
Via 4 journeys to free company — from the Falcons to the Browns to the Titans to the Raiders to the Patriots — and 141 regular-season video games, however simply 4 playoff video games between his first Tremendous Bowl and the beginning of the Patriots run to Tremendous Bowl 2026?
The vacation spot is Levi’s Stadium — lower than an hour from his alma maters of De La Salle Excessive Faculty and Stanford — and Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the vaunted Seahawks secondary.
“It’s been a journey to get again right here, and it makes it that a lot sweeter,” Hooper mentioned. “It hasn’t at all times been linear. You perceive it slightly higher. You positively have rather more sense of gratitude. To have the ability to get this chance again, within the place the place I used to be born and raised, is fairly particular.”
Hooper caught a landing go in the course of the constructing of the Falcons’ 28-3 lead. Then, over the ultimate 17 minutes of regulation, all the pieces imploded, the Patriots tied the rating at 28-28 and gained on a landing in time beyond regulation earlier than the Falcons even may contact the ball within the further session.
“That one sucked,” Hooper mentioned. “However I didn’t actually think about it an entire loss as a result of it additionally taught me numerous classes. You may at all times discover mild inside darkness. I bear in mind after that my dad informed me, ‘The solar will rise within the morning. Regardless of how good or unhealthy one thing is, the following day is a brand new day.’ After I was 21 years previous, that basically resonated me after that recreation in that vogue. I made my peace with it a very long time in the past.”
Hooper sees some similarities between the 2016 Falcons — who had been coming off an 8-8 season and began 6-4 throughout their Tremendous Bowl season — and the 2025 Patriots. Nobody noticed the Patriots on this season’s Tremendous Bowl after a 4-13 end final 12 months and 1-2 begin to this season.
“Everybody has revisionist historical past, however that [Falcons] staff simply obtained scorching and performed some good soccer — form of just like this staff,” Hooper mentioned. “Each staff is exclusive, however this staff could be very linked.”
So it solely can be pure if Hooper’s thoughts traveled to that second and to the ability of unfinished enterprise after the Patriots beat the Broncos within the AFC Championship recreation two weeks in the past. It didn’t.
“What I extra bear in mind from that Tremendous Bowl is the circus part of it,” Hooper mentioned wanting round a tent in a car parking zone stuffed with a whole bunch of gamers and media, “so I used it as a template. However I get one other alternative at this again at dwelling. Everybody desires to win it.”
The solar will come up Monday morning even when the Seahawks win.
