The Boilermaker’s Brycen Hopkins returns to Nissan Stadium, where his dad, Brad Hopkins played as a Tennessee Titan

Three Nashville native football players will be appearing in the Franklin American Music City Bowl on Friday. Phelps Gambill (Rfr) and Jackson McFadden (Fr) are former Montgomery Bell Academy players, and from Ensworth, Brycen Hopkins (Jr) will represent the growing pool of  athletic talent that Nashville, TN has become.

Brycen Hopkins has become a terrific football player in his own right, and standout at local private school Ensworth Academy. To continue his career at Purdue University is not a huge surprise because he has former Tennessee Titan’s Brad Hopkins blood.

Brycen Hopkins now is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior who has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s top tight ends, earning third-team all-conference honors from the media and honorable mention from the coaches this season after catching 32 passes for 564 yards and two touchdowns. This after grabbing 25 passes for 349 yards and three scores in 2017.

“It is hard to believe Brycen is all grown up now,” says Brad Hopkins, a former Illinois offensive tackle who enjoyed a standout career in the National Football League with the Titans. “He is a good young man, and I am proud of him.”

Daddy Hopkins will get a chance to  see his son play on his old stomping grounds in Nashville when Purdue takes on Auburn in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 28 at Nissan Stadium. “It will be fun,” Brycen says. “I have a lot of good memories of that stadium.

“When I heard that Purdue was coming to Nashville, I was excited,” says Brad, who has another son, Collin, who is a catcher at Western Kentucky, and a daughter, Gentry, on the dance team at Tennessee. “I had a feeling this would work out when I heard about the bowl possibilities for Purdue……We want to get a win vs. Auburn,” he says. “This is a great opportunity.”

Career Highlights Hopkins bring to the Music City Bowl

Notables 2017
• Appeared 12 games as a reserve.
• Caught 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns on the year.
• Had three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown vs. No. 16 Louisville on
Sept, 2.
• Recorded a season-high four receptions for for 85 yards and a touchdown vs.
Ohio on Sept. 8.
• Caught two passes for 22 yards at Missouri on Sept. 16.
• Had three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown vs. No. 8 Michigan on Sept.
23.
• Caught a six-yard pass vs. Minnesota on Oct. 7.
• Finished with a pair of receptions for 48 yards at No. 7 Wisconsin on Oct. 14.
• Had a 23-yard reception vs. Nebraska on Oct. 28.
•Tallied three receptions for 53 yards vs. Illinois on Nov. 4.
• Caught a three-yard pass at Northwestern on No. 11.
• Had three catches for 21 yards at Iowa on Nov. 18.
• Caught two passes for 25 yards vs. Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl on Dec. 27.

2016
• Appeared in 11 games, making one start.
• Caught 10 passes for 183 yards and four touchdowns on the year.
• Had a 51-yard touchdown reception vs. Nevada on Sept. 24.
• Finished with one reception for 14 yards at Maryland on Oct. 1.
• Recorded a season-high three catches for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns
vs. Iowa on Oct. 15.
• Had two receptions for 20 yards at No. 8 Nebraska on Oct. 22.
• Caught two passes for 16 yards vs. No. 24 Penn State on Oct. 29.
• Had a two-yard touchdown reception at Minnesota on Nov. 5.

HIGH SCHOOL
• Two-year letter winner.
• Rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com
• Named All-State Division II-AA as a senior.
• Also lettered in basketball (four years) and baseball (two years).

PERSONAL
• Given name is Brycen Avery Hopkins.
• Born March 27, 1997.
• Father, Brad, played football at the University of Illinois.
• Is majoring in selling and sales management.