Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper puts two feet on the floor as he gets out of bed each morning. He uses tooth paste when he brushes his teeth. When it rains, and he needs to walk somewhere, he tries to remember his umbrella. In these ways, he’s just like future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. But in most ways, he’s nothing like Gonzalez.
Gonzalez left a big wake after he retired. Jacob Tamme was a fantastic stopgap, but Hooper was the future. And so far, if we’re brutally honest, he hasn’t lived up to those lofty expectations.