Austin Hooper and Alex Van Pelt have been reunited. 

The New England Patriots have brought in numerous new faces this offseason, adding to the coaching staff and the roster. Among them have been offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and tight end Austin Hooper. 

And the two are quite familiar with one another, having worked together in Cleveland for two seasons. 

So when asked about the new Patriots offensive coordinator, Hooper gave very high praise. 

“We worked together for two years. Really smart guy. Good energy in the building. That’s a huge part of it,” Hooper said. “Most people just think of the three hours you see on Sunday, but there’s many more hours throughout the week where you’re spending a lot of time together, and it makes work so much better when you enjoy the people you work with. It makes sense, right?

“His style, his approach, his offense, his understanding of his personnel, and who he is as a man and coach, it’s going to make it really fun to be in the building every day.” 

With that, Hooper also seemed to imply that Van Pelt's presence on the new coaching staff that Jerod Mayo has assembled was a part of the reason for his decision to come to New England.  

And he also knows that with Van Pelt's past experiences along with his emphasis on collaboration, it will be a recipe for success. 

“Just a guy who’s played a lot, been through a lot, coached a lot, and has seen the game from every angle,” Hooper said. “Being able to work with him and seeing him be the same dude every single day – I’m not implying he’ll let things slide, he’ll address issues as all good coaches do, but there’s a way to go about it, which inspires the guys and keeps the atmosphere good, keeps the atmosphere one where you can learn.

“One where you can try stuff out at practice, one where you can push that boundary. I worked with a lot of coaches and not everyone is like that.”

The two spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons together. In his first year with the Browns, Hooper finished with 46 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns. He followed it up with 38 receptions, 345 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. 

Van Pelt was hired by the Patriots this offseason and has already begun to rebuild the offense. With Mike Gesicki leaving, the Patriots needed another tight end on the roster alongside Hunter Henry (who they re-signed). And Van Pelt decided that Hooper was the man for the job. 

So let's see if the two can create some magic on the football field.