UConn TE, Local Pro Day Invite Grew Up Attending Patriots Games
For Louis Hansen, growing up in Massachusetts allowed him to experience the rise of New England Patriots football first hand. He remembers watching Mike Vrabel play as a kid. With his father and brother, Hansen made the trip to Houston for Super Bowl LI. He lived in Dover, just a 30 minute drive from Gillette Stadium.
Now the UConn Huskies tight end is on the radar of his favorite NFL team. Hansen was one of four tight ends, and 27 draft prospects overall, to earn an invite to the Patriots local pro day on April 7. The indoor workout also coincided with a meet-and-greet with New England's head coach, something Hansen called "surreal."
"The local pro day was awesome to be a part of," Hansen told Patriots On SI. "It was a great experience being able to workout for the team I grew up watching and getting to be able to work with the coaching staff first hand was great. Getting to meet coach Vrabel was surreal, he was a player I remember watching as a kid and now coaching the team obviously.
"I have a ton of respect for him and what he's been able to accomplish with the Patriots organization," Hansen continued.
The St. Sebastian's School (Needham) star originally started his college career at Michigan. Hansen joined the Wolverines ahead of the 2021 season and spent two years in Ann Arbor. He played in just three games and decided to come back to New England.
Hansen Grew Up Idolizing A Patriots Legend
In 2023 -- his redshirt sophomore season -- Hansen arrived in Storrs, Connecticut, to join a UConn team on the rise. As the Huskies' status rose, so did Hansen's. Over a three-year period, the tight end played in 37 games, caught 46 passes and racked up 463 yards and four touchdowns.
While his stats might not jump off the box score, he says that what he brings to a football team can't be measured in numbers.
"If you watch my tape, you'll see a high motor player looking to make blocks down the field, playing through the whistle, and fights for extra yards with the ball in his hands," Hansen said. "I take a lot of pride in being a good teammate and demonstrating that through how hard I'm willing to work for the guy next to me."
What Are His Draft Expectations?
Hansen doesn't really have many expectations for how the next week will go for him. He's spoken to several teams during the pre-draft process, but isn't sure what will happen. He hopes his "tireless worker" attitude and willingness to do "anything to help my team win" will earn him a spot on someone's camp roster.
But it's safe to assume that returning to Gillette Stadium this summer would be a special full circle moment for the longtime New England fan.
"I've been going to Patriots games as long as I can remember," Hansen said. "The Patriots were a big part of why I wanted to get into football in the first place. (Rob) Gronk(owski) is probably my favorite football player of all time and being a tight end myself he's certainly a player I like to watch and try to emulate in different ways. He really made blocking cool for me as a young football player in elementary or middle school."
The Patriots have four tight ends currently on the roster (Hunter Henry, Julian Hill, CJ Dippre, Marshall Lang). They certainly wouldn't be opposed to adding another in Hansen, who got invited to the Hula Bowl this past January.
And while it might be hard to replicate the Patriots' heroic comeback in their fifth Super Bowl title that he saw in the stands, Hansen sure would like to try.
"Regardless of how I get that opportunity or where it is, I'm going to be excited and it will be a dream come true," he said.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as UConn TE, Local Pro Day Invite Grew Up Attending Patriots Games.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 9:17 AM.