Thanks to his Lions’ win over the Seahawks, Hogan Hatten’s homecoming to Idaho was particularly happy

Oct. 4 – MOSCOW, Idaho – After helping his Detroit Lions defeat the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, long snapper Hogan Hatten headed to Moscow.

While many of his fellow recent Idaho alums are likely starting their careers in different ways, Hatten, at 24 years old, is one of 32 people in the world tasked with delivering focused, fast-paced football to Idaho’s owners and players billion-dollar National Football League.

Hatten performed the same service for the Vandals, playing linebacker from 2019 to 2023. When he learned about three weeks ago that the Lions’ bye week coincided with Idaho’s homecoming, the Lions rookie saw an opportunity.

“There was a 100 percent chance that I would be back in Moscow,” Hatten said.

He’s been making the rounds this week, bouncing between former teammates and old regulars as the familiar figure he was just four months ago, while offering insight into how to achieve bigger goals.

“I drove around the city and took in the energy of city life,” Hatten said. “There are things here that I will remember forever.

“I really appreciate these coaches and this program. … I really wanted to come back and show my appreciation and give these young people a sense of how great this place is. I really want to get around and see some important faces.” I need to say “Thank you””

Reuniting with old teammates at practice Wednesday, Hatten said, “I think they can look at me as something they can be, too.”

He embodies the perspective of a college football player and a professional.

“The crazy thing is that it’s not all that different,” he said. “It’s just as stressful. Making this team is these guys’ Super Bowl. For me it was my first preparation game.”

But there is a clear imperative among NFL players.

“If you don’t get better, you’re out of the league,” Hatten said.

At the same time, there is a rapid rush of games in the NFL that is second to none.

“If you could bottle up and sell the emotions that come from exiting an NFL tunnel, there wouldn’t be any left,” he said. “It is the best drug in the world.

“You feel like you’re on the best team in the world.”

This is easier to feel with the highly regarded Lions (3:1).

“I’m in a special situation,” he said. “We could actually be the best team in the world.”

Detroit is experiencing a renaissance as a city that is redefining itself after emerging from the decades-long decline of assembly-line automobile production and the formerly dismal Lions, Hatten said. This makes it a great place to represent yourself as an athlete.

“The city is very proud of what it built and what it has become,” he said. “I think the city sees the football team as part of their job.”

In Monday night’s 42-29 win over the Seahawks, Hatten recorded his first NFL tackle on punt returner Dee Williams. As he made his rounds in Moscow, he brought a jersey he had worn in that game to Marc Trivelpiece, the owner of the Corner Club, which, in addition to its reputation as the center of the social world for generations of UI students, also provided a wealth of Jerseys houses Vandals athletics memorabilia.

Hatten negotiated with Trivelpiece to have his framed jersey displayed next to a plaque honoring his brother Hayden Hatten’s passport reception. Someone pointed out that the framed jersey is larger than the plaque.

“This guy here is a legend,” he said of his All-America brother. “He can beat me in Idaho any time he wants.”

While he’s in town, Hatten wants to make the most of the homecoming experience. He expects to be at the traditional bonfire on Friday. When Idaho plays Northern Arizona on Saturday, a team Hatten played four times as a Vandal, his loyalties will be clear.

“There’s no school in the world I want to beat more,” the Arizona native said. “They looked my brother and I in the face and said we weren’t good enough to play there.”

Even as Hatten makes his way into professional football, he seems to be getting the hang of the alumni thing during his week-long break from this world.

“This will be my first bonfire as a fan,” he said. “This will be my first game as a fan. At the end of the day, we’re all fans.”