FOXBORO, Mass. — Brian Hoyer has been in New England Patriots fans’ lives since 2009. But before this week, only those who’d closely studied the quarterback’s Pro-Football-Reference page knew his given first name isn’t actually Brian.
It’s Axel, as longtime Patriots teammate Matthew Slater revealed Monday — Axel Edward Brian Hoyer.
How did the 36-year-old get that distinctive moniker? It wasn’t because his parents were big fans of “Beverly Hills Cop” or Guns ‘N Roses.
“My dad’s name is Axel,” Hoyer explained Wednesday. “I know I saw (Sports Illustrated’s) Albert Breer thought maybe it was like ‘Beverly Hills Cop.