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How T.J. Hockenson is making a great first impression with Detroit Lions

Shawn Windsor and Carlos Monarrez debate the Detroit Lions first-round draft pick T.J. Hockenson, tight end from Iowa. Carlos Monarrez and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press

Chris White was in his final season as running backs coach at Iowa when the Hawkeyes landed an under-the-radar tight end recruit by the name of T.J. Hockenson.

White wasn’t coaching Hockenson at the time, but the Detroit Lions’ current tight ends coach remembers Hockenson making quite the first impression.

About a week into Hockenson’s first training camp, Hawkeyes coaches gathered for a staff meeting to discuss their roster. When Hockenson’s name came up, then-Iowa tight ends coach LeVar Woods dropped a whopper on the room.