2017 Game Program Senior Feature: Tyler Hoppes

Tyler Hoppes was just a kid with a dream. A kid from Lincoln who wanted to play football.

At first, he pursued that dream at Wayne State under Head Coach Dan McLaughlin. Hoppes saw action in nine games as a freshman with the Wildcats before deciding to walk on at Nebraska prior to the 2014 season.

Originally a defensive end, Hoppes switched to tight end in the spring of 2015. As a junior, the 6-4, 245-pound Hoppes played in 10 games, primarily on special teams. Hoppes worked on the Huskers’ kickoff return unit and also provided depth at tight end behind three seniors.

Entering his senior season, Hoppes was the most experienced tight end returnee after Nebraska lost three four-year letterwinners to graduation.

He took on a leadership role through fall camp as he and fellow senior tight end Connor Ketter stepped up to lead a relatively inexperienced group. Hoppes has emerged as a starting tight end for the Huskers, and he earned a scholarship for his senior year.

“It feels pretty good obviously,” Hoppes said of earning a scholarship. “It feels even better to get to start as a former walk-on. Being a starter now is pretty good experience, and it’s awesome because there hasn’t be­en too many walk-ons as starters so I think that’s even better.”

He’s played a significant role in the Nebraska offense so far in 2017, starting all five games and catching 11 passes for 137 yards, including his first career touchdown at Illinois last Friday. Against Arkansas State, Hoppes caught three passes for a career-high 40 yards. The following week at Oregon, Hoppes caught a career-long 35-yard catch.

“I would say that I would rather take the win over stats, but it does feel good to get that playing time and to get some love in the passing game as well,” Hoppes said.

In addition to making an impact on the field, Hoppes is actively involved in the community and is a standout in the classroom. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2016 and is a five-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
In addition, he’s earned spots on the 2017 Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Teams.

A sociology major, Hoppes is set to graduate in December and though his time as a Husker is coming to an end, the memories will last a lifetime.

“Other than playing and getting to start, I would say my favorite memory is just my first time on the tunnel walk, running out against - I don’t even know who it was against - but in front of 90,000 fans is kind of an experience that you’ll never forget,” Hoppes said. “You get goosebumps the first time. So I think that’s honestly one of my favorite memories.”