FLORHAM PARK, NJ – Former Super Bowl champion Chris Hogan, who managed to catch 216 passes over nine NFL seasons, returns to his other favorite sport: lacrosse.
Hogan, 33, entered his name into the Premier Lacrosse League on March 25, he confirmed on Saturday.
“As many of you know, my roots are in lacrosse, and I’m excited to be fighting for a roster place with the best in the world!” he posted on Twitter on Saturday.
Hogan was a four-time letter winner and captain at Penn State, where he played lacrosse from 2007 to 2010 after a highly decorated career at Ramapo High School in upstate New Jersey. He was a midfielder for the Nittany Lions, scoring 29 goals as a junior and earning all of the ECAC recognition. His coach once said he could be “the best middie in Division I”.
In his prime-time game introduction video as a member of the New England Patriots, Hogan announced his alma mater as “Penn State lacrosse”. He used his senior year of eligibility to play football at Monmouth (NJ) University.
Hogan has not said whether he will retire from the NFL.
He played for the New York Jets last season, catching 14 passes for 118 yards in five games. The Jets were so exhausted at wide receiver that Hogan, who signed in training camp, immediately became a starter. He landed on an injured reserve with a high ankle sprain and was released from IR in December.
His best years came with the Patriots, from 2016 to 2018. He became a regular target for Tom Brady, winning two Super Bowl rings in New England before moving on to the Carolina Panthers and Jets. He started his career with the Buffalo Bills.
In a 2019 interview with US Lacrosse Magazine, Hogan said he would be “absolutely” interested in playing lacrosse again. He still had a stick, he said, but he hadn’t worn gloves in eight years.
In 2018, Hogan reportedly became an investor in the Premier Lacrosse League, which consists of eight teams following a recent merger with Major League Lacrosse. The entry draft is for players who have never played in the PLL.