TJ Hockenson On Getting Traded From Detroit To Minnesota

take us to the moment where you got traded yeah how was that for you were you bitter at first no I wouldn't say so I mean like I kind of there was a lot of Articles coming out um because we were I think one and six at the time like articles of you being like on the trading block yeah cuz was that your contract year were you coming up to the end of your contract yeah like I was in my fourth year at the time and so like I kind of like understood hey either they're going to want to keep me here or they're going to want to get rid of me and try to get some draft capital and so like I and I was having a really good year at the time with like not you know I I wasn't getting the ball a ton but like being able to create separation and and when I did get the ball I'd make the most of it you know um and and yeah I think the last game I had ah like three targets three catches and like 90 yards or something like that because you know we played Miami and it was like I I could I that they were you know they were kind of starting to get to that point and um you know you you have conversations you see like what's going on and you see the Articles coming out and you know you just have conversations with the guys like oh like what's going on you know and everyone's like you're not leaving you know you're not going anywhere you know but they don't know because it's really solely up to the GM you know and so at that point um you know I got a call on Tuesday and was like hey you're getting traded to the Vikings and um appreciate it didn't have a good one I was like all right cool sounds good were you excited bummed no I was excited I was excited it was a fresh start for me um obviously I knew like I was going to play for Coach oconnell who was a young coach and like it was his first year and he has he was six and one or something like that at the time and like just uh really up and cominging coach and then to be able to get around him and um it was the best thing for me like God put me in the right place um like I I I I love Minnesota um I love the team you know and and it really starts at the top with KO and and the ownership like those guys are incredible and it trickles down like I mean like I say you know you have your PT your head PT come down and like watch you do things and they want you to like live a life outside of football and like love people you know like that that doesn't come around in in this league very much I mean you guys know how Cutthroat it is and so um to have that and like to build relationships with those people in Minnesota and with the Vikings has been incredible like you don't find a a bad human being at any point like whenever you turn a corner there's there's somebody that you know and you you can have a conversation with them for 30 minutes and just like just about life it's not about anything and you know if there's a bad person that's in the facility it's found out really quick and they're gone you know like that's just what it is and and so they they really only attract good people um they really preach love and like being a team and like actually as much as a team as you can be in the NFL you know like that it's hard because everybody's in and out the door but um they're incredible like I it's really the best place for me and I hope I'm I'm there for a long time take me through the timeline a little bit more of like how the whole uh trading thing started like when the rumor started who was your first call cuz I know there's a lot of people probably listening to this that don't know what goes on behind closed doors in a locker room yeah and a lot of times guys find out they're traded on the ticker and they just then they then all of a sudden they get a call from the GM for you when the rumor Meal start and then when did the actual transaction happen um the rumor meal started I think the week before I got traded like that week going up to the trade de line like there was a bunch of articles that were coming out like hey do we trade hackinson like who could we trade you know and then I just called Ben cuz like I say I have the best relationship I had the best relationship with him at the time and Dan was um newish I think at the time I think he might have been a year in and so I I called Ben and was just like hey like what's like what what are they thinking he's like dude you don't really have anything to worry about I you know like I love you um I think everybody around here has a lot of respect for you and what you're doing you're a good player and I don't think that's the thing you know and so I was like all right cool sounds good and then we lost to Miami that week and that and I was coming off of a a game where against Seattle where I had like 156 176 yards for two touchdowns like I I was coming off a game and you know we lost the game but you know I was I was playing well and um so I wasn't too worried about it and then Tuesday came around and I woke up and I was like We'll see put my phone on the ringer you know and I was in the facility for few hours um just doing PT and and Recovery stuff and then I left go to go to a chiropractor and got a call on my way to the chiropractor and was told I was traded and then even up to that call your your uh your worries about being traded were pretty much put to rest because your conversation with Coach Johnson um yeah I mean pretty much like I like I still had a feeling obviously you know Neil kind of knows a lot of that stuff and he like can hear stuff and and so I kind of you know still was like okay I might I it's definitely a possibility like I but like for them to trade me within division like I wasn't expecting that at all but I mean I'm like again I'm so blessed and able to be there so I was excited when that happened but um yeah I wasn't I wasn't really necessarily expecting it but came and it's been a blessing is there a a level of you're with the Lions and they haven't won a division in like the last 30 years until this past year and then you leave and now they're having this that crazy success is there a part of you that's kind of like bitter towards that success um I mean you know obviously OB L they're still in division so you like want to beat them and you want to win the division as much as personally but I mean yeah not not not crazy but like I mean you you see it and you're like like what's going on you know and you talk to people and they're just like you know like that I played with and they're just like it just started clicking like it was nothing got rid of you and everything just came into place [ __ ] well I mean you think about guys in there the first like I I was only there for six games when uh coach Ben got moved up to OC like head OC so like it was a learning curve for everybody like it it's not that's one of those places too like the terminology is a lot different like Ben makes it complicated so it's easy you know like if that makes sense like you know each way is a different term like so if you're on the right side be it'd be like I I don't know they'd be one term and if you're on the if you're going to the left same play it' be a different term so like you can still do all that at the line MH but it was a learning curve for a lot of guys cuz that's not what you do you know and they'd be code names so be like lobster and and whatever you know and um so that was a learning curve for everybody and so everybody was trying to figure it out and get used to it and there was a lot of hiccups throughout that first seven games um and then we all started kind of getting it after like week five and starting to kind of figure it out and then you know now they they've gotten it to click and Ben's I mean there's no doubt in my mind that Ben's like a huge part of that because he's just uh you know kind of like a mastermind in that in that kind of sense and um yeah I mean but I like bitterness like I I really was happy for like the boys that I used to play with you know like obviously they you I was in it for a long time it's a it's not fun to like go out and play and not really have any success and then um you know for them to have some success like I was happy for the guys that I played with um but you know I mean to obviously be in the same division there's a little bit of that because you guys want to be the team we want to be the team you want to be the team and also like every player I ever played with they got traded or left their team anytime we played that team there was that was circled that was like we got to hey boys we got to [ __ ] get these guys yeah 100% it's got to we got if we can lose them all but not this one this is the one we have to win yeah so I just didn't know if you had any of those those types of feelings 100% I mean you always get a little Juiced up when you play them I mean you just want to see him and and you know at that point like I said when I got hurt that was that game and it was for really a playoff birth for us and so that was that was a huge game and um you know it could have gone either way at the time that I got injured and then you know I get injured and and it's still a close game but I think that was um that was tough for for all of us so um when the rumor mill starts are you did you and your girl ever play the game of like hey this place would be cool hey what about this place well we heard Miami um that was the biggest thing so kind of got excited about that didn't you it was I mean it's warm down there and you know but I mean when it when you talk about Minnesota and their their name kind of started to get like we heard like Neil heard their name and I was like that'd be nice because it's my like my family goes every game my parents go to every game um they haven't missed a game since I've been you know 13 and so like they were driving to Detroit all the time and that's 8 hours there not including Chicago traffic you know and then 8 hours back and so um it's only four hours from my hometown Minnesota is and so it's incredible for all of them and and for me to to be able to be around family my mom's from Minnesota so I have a bunch of extended family there so if I ever need anything you know I'm able to call them and I mean there's there is such thing as Minnesota nice you know like people around the the block around your in your neighborhood like they just love and they want to help out you know without being weird about it you know like you know how some people can be when you know you're you are who you are and then they're like getting a little too close you know but that's usually not a thing there so it's it's been it's been awesome and like I said the the facilities are beautiful they're brand new um there's a reason it gets you know top two last year it was number one in the nflpa scor score like they do it right in Minnesota and um it's I'm just super lucky to be there