FLORHAM PARK, NJ – Former Super Bowl champion Chris Hogan, who caught 216 passes during nine NFL seasons, is returning to his other favorite sport – lacrosse.
Hogan, 33, entered his name on March 25 in the Premier Lacrosse League entry proposal, he confirmed on Saturday.
“As many of you know, my roots are in lacrosse, and I’m excited to fight for a grid spot with the best in the world!” he posted on Twitter on Saturday.
Hogan was a four-time letter winner and captain in Penn State, where he played lacrosse from 2007 to 2010 after a highly decorated career at Ramapo High School in northern New Jersey. He was a midfielder for the Nittany Lions, scoring 29 goals as a junior and earning ECAC recognition. His coach once said that he ‘could be the best afternoon in Division I’.
In his intro video before prime-time games as a member of the New England Patriots, Hogan announces his alma mater as ‘Penn State lacrosse’. He spent his final year qualifying to play football at the University of Monmouth (NJ).
Hogan did not say whether he would retire from the NFL.
He played for the New York Jets last season, scoring 14 passes for 118 yards in five games. The Jets were so exhausted at a wide receiver that Hogan, who signed a training camp, became an instant starter. He ended up on an injured reserve with a high single voltage and was released from IR in December.
His best years were with the Patriots, from 2016 to 2018. He became a set target for Tom Brady and won two Super Bowl rings in New England before moving on to the Carolina Panthers and Jets. He began his career at the Buffalo Bills.
In a 2019 interview with American Lacrosse Magazine, Hogan said he would be “absolutely” interested in playing lacrosse again. He still owned a stick, he said, but for eight years he did not wear gloves.
In 2018, Hogan apparently became an investor in the Premier Lacrosse League, which consists of eight teams following a recent merger with Major League Lacrosse. The entry proposal is for players who have never played in the PLL.