Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper is replacing Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz on the Pro Bowl roster, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Ertz decided to withdraw from the trip to Honolulu.
Hooper hauled in 71 receptions for 660 yards and four touchdowns on the year. The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Stanford University, was originally selected by the Falcons in the third round (81st pick overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.
He had a very quiet rookie campaign, catching 19 passes for 271 yards and three scores during Atlanta's run to making a Super Bowl appearance. The following year Hooper's named was called much more, as he snared 49 balls for 526 yards while making it to the end zone three times.
Hooper played just two years of collegiate football at Stanford and was not utilized all that much, as he finished with 40 catches for 499 yards and a couple of touchdowns during his freshman year. He followed that up with 34 receptions for 438 yards and six scores during his final season with the Cardinal.
While Hooper had a strong 2018, the Falcons had a disappointing campaign as a whole, going just 7-9 and never really looking like a Super Bowl contender at any point during the season. As a matter of fact, Atlanta began the year with a record of 1-4.
The Falcons had made back-to-back playoff appearances before this season, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year. They won 11 games and made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2016 before blowing a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots in a devastating loss.
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