Hockenson a special talent

After breaking most of the career receiving records in the state of Iowa, Chariton tight end T.J. Hockenson is taking his talents to Iowa City to play for the Hawkeyes next year. We caught up with his head football coach at Chariton, Curt Smyser, to talk about the type of player the Hawkeyes are getting, what Hockenson needs to work on before college, and much more.

Q: What type of player has T.J. been for you?

SMYSER: He has been unbelievable. He started for us as a freshman and played four years on both sides of the football in a really tough 3A district. His offense skill set is as good as anyone we have seen since I've been here. He is a freak on the offensive side of the ball. His hands are unreal and he catches ball that is close to him. Maybe more than that is his ability to get his body to the ball is something. At our smaller school, we won't have another kid like that.

Q: When could you tell he was a special player?

SMYSER: Middle school. We could see he was just that good as a middle schooler coming in. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the kids at middle school. He has continued to work his butt off and has gotten a lot stronger but we knew at an early age he would be special.

Q: What have the Iowa coaches said about his role in college?

SMYSER: He is going to be a tight end. They were worried about his blocking to start and that is why they waited to get him up there until the last junior day. Then they got him and went 1-on-1 with him blocking and they found out that he is a Big 10 tight end. He will still be a huge matchup problem with any linebacker he is facing. His route running is superb and if the quarterback gets it close he'll get it.

Q: What areas is he working on this off-season?

SMYSER: I think it is his speed stuff. He can still develop speed and will try to put on weight. He is 235 pounds right now. He is strength stuff, footwork, and speed. He will continue to work on running routes and getting better overall.

Q: How much do you think him being a multi-sport athlete has helped him?

SMYSER: I think it is huge. Reese Morgan said that the one thing Iowa recruits is athletes who play multiple sports. In basketball, that helps him from a competitive side. When you play multiple sports, you have that. That has helped him getting a lot of game experience on the court and on the field.

Q: What other schools were in the picture for him?

SMYSER: Iowa State said that they were upset because they thought the had a good hook on him and I think they did. It was a two horse race. Iowa State was great but he just wanted to play Division I tight end at Iowa. He has seen the success of their tight ends and that is one thing that had him going to Iowa over Iowa State.

Q: How is his work ethic?

SMYSER: He is very determined. He wanted to play Division I so he did everything he could to get to that level. He worked hard in the weight room. He is continuing to be the best he can be.

As a senior, Hockenson finished with 85 catches for 1,228 yards and 17 touchdowns this past season season.

During his four-year high school career, he finished with a state record 238 receptions for 3,560 yards and 49 touchdowns.