Ex-Dolphins WR who gained fame on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ to make professional lacrosse debut
Chris Hogan, the ex-Miami Dolphins receiver and former Super Bowl champion, has returned to the sport he once starred in during his college days at Penn State.
Hogan, who spent one season playing wide receiver at Monmouth University after a stellar four-year lacrosse career at Penn State, will make his professional lacrosse debut on Saturday as a member of the Cannon’s Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League. The match will be televised on NBC at noon.
“As many of you know, my roots are in lacrosse, and I’m excited to fight for a roster spot with the best in the world!” Hogan, who played lacrosse at Ramapo High School in New Jersey, tweeted on Feb. 13.
Hogan gained fame on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” while with the Dolphins in 2012, when he was nicknamed “7-Eleven” by teammate Reggie Bush because he was “always open.”
Hogan, who won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, had one of the most memorable performances in Patriots history, setting a team playoff record with nine catches for 180 yards in a 36-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 AFC championship game.
During his lacrosse days at Penn State, Hogan once played against Patriots assistant Steve Belichick, son of coach Bill Belichick.
Hogan, 33, played for the New York Jets last season, catching 14 passes for 118 yards in five games, but was placed on injured reserve and subsequently waived in December.
After his brief stint on the Dolphins’ practice squad, he signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent and caught 87 passes for 957 yards and six touchdowns from 2013-15. He then signed a three-year deal with New England and had a breakthrough season in 2016, catching 38 passes for 680 yards and four touchdowns.
He spent the 2019 season with the Carolina Panthers, catching just eight passes for 67 yards with no touchdowns.
The Cannons were formerly known as the Boston Cannons when they were a member of Major League Lacrosse. They changed their name to Cannon’s Lacrosse Club after MLL merged with the Premier Lacrosse League last year. PLL teams are not affiliated with individual cities. They instead host weekend mini-tournaments in various U.S. cities that include all 10 teams throughout the season. None of the games, however, are scheduled to be played in Florida during the eight-week 2021 campaign.
The Cannon’s game against Whipsnakes Lacrosse Club on Saturday will be played at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. Last week’s opening games, ironically, were played at Gillette Stadium in Boston, where Hogan had plenty of memorable moments with the Patriots.
