SAN JOSE, Calif. — Austin Hooper is losing sleep over 28-3.

It’s ironic, really. He’s gearing up for his second Super Bowl, wearing a Patriots jersey this time, almost a decade after he first appeared as a rookie. Back then, the Patriots pulled off a 25-point comeback against his Falcons in Super Bowl 51, and that experience still stings.

“It went just as I expected,” Hooper shared.

So why is he now with the Patriots?

After journeying through four teams—from the Falcons to the Browns, then the Titans, the Raiders, and finally landing with the Patriots—Hooper has played 141 regular-season games. Yet, he’s participated in only four playoff games since that initial Super Bowl. Now, he’s heading to Levi’s Stadium, not far from both his alma mater, De La Salle High School, and Stanford, to face the Seahawks this Sunday.

“It’s been a long road back, but honestly, it’s been so enjoyable,” Hooper remarked. “It wasn’t a straightforward path. I get it a lot better now, and I definitely cherish it more. Being back where I grew up is truly special.”

In that fateful Super Bowl, he caught a touchdown while the Falcons had a 28-3 lead. And then—well, we all know how that story ended. In the last 17 minutes, the Patriots tied it up, and the Falcons never even touched the ball in overtime.

“That was rough,” he admitted. “But I didn’t see it as a total loss. It brought me plenty of lessons. There’s always a silver lining in tough times. I remember my dad saying afterwards, ‘In the morning, the sun comes up. No matter what happens—good or bad—the next day is a fresh start.’ That really stuck with me after that game at 21. I’ve come to terms with it long ago.”

Now, Hooper notices parallels between the 2025 Patriots and the 2016 Falcons, who went 8-8 that year yet had high expectations leading up to the Super Bowl. People didn’t see the Patriots making it this far either, after a dismal 4-13 last season and a 1-2 start this year.

“Everyone loves to rewrite history; it’s like how the Falcons just found their stride and ended up playing great football. I see the same with this team. Every squad has its own flavor, but this one is really tight-knit,” Hooper explained.

So, after the Patriots tackled the Broncos in the AFC Championship game a couple of weeks ago, it naturally brought back memories and thoughts about unfinished business. It wasn’t over for him.

“What sticks out more for me regarding that Super Bowl was the chaos surrounding it,” Hooper reflected, glancing at the bustling parking lot filled with players and media. “So we’re using that as a guide. At the end of the day, when you get home, you get a second shot. The desire to win is strong.”

Even if the Seahawks come out victorious, Monday morning will still dawn bright and new.