On Thanksgiving 2019, Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson went down with a gruesome ankle injury (warning: graphic), eventually landing on injured reserve.
Today, in a virtual meeting with the Lions media, Hockenson revealed that he not only tore the ligaments in his ankle, but he also suffered a broken leg.
“Obviously, the beginning of last offseason was tough,” Hockenson said. “Breaking my leg and then tearing a few ligaments in my ankle, it was definitely a tough situation.”
This is new information that was not disclosed at the time and it makes his timeline for rehab, recovery, and rise to the Pro Bowl this season all the more impressive.
Hockenson made a point to recognize the physical therapists that have helped him during his recovery period, as well as crediting teammates for helping him keep stay mentally prepared to return to football.
“There were a lot of guys in the locker room that really just laid it out there,” Hockenson said. “‘As long as you work hard, and as long as you do what your trainers tell you, and what everyone is telling you, then you’ll be able to come back’, and that really meant a lot (to me). A lot of guys had my back throughout the offseason, texting me, just trying to make sure that everything was going well… There’s not a lot of better guys, I could ask for in that locker room.”
The future is bright for Hockenson, and if he was able to elevate his game to a Pro Bowl level with virtually no offseason while also recovering from this type of injury, the sky is the limit for where his career can go.
