STANFORD, Calif. — Austin Hooper and the New England Patriots won in a second-half snowstorm in Denver to advance to Super Bowl LX. Hooper is the only former Stanford Cardinal returning to the Bay Area to compete for the Super Bowl this season.
Hooper played 26 snaps on offense for the Patriots, who are advancing to the Super Bowl for the 12th time in franchise history, the most among NFL teams. He did not receive a target in a game that saw New England record only 206 yards of total offense. Still, the Patriots’ defense limited Denver to just 32 yards in the second half to win 10-7. With the win, New England improves to 9-0 away from Gillette Stadium this season, the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 in road games.
Super Bowl LX is the second Super Bowl appearance for Hooper, who was with the Atlanta Falcons nine years ago during Super Bowl LI, the first Super Bowl to reach an overtime period. Hooper is expected to become the 20th former Cardinal to play in multiple Super Bowls when he takes the field at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. Hooper joins former Falcons teammate and Cardinal tight end Levine Toilolo as the only former Stanford tight ends to appear in multiple Super Bowls. If New England wins, Hooper would become the 23rd former Stanford student-athlete to win a Super Bowl.
The season ended for tight end Colby Parkinson and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, as they fell in the NFC Championship game 31-27 to the Seattle Seahawks. Parkinson started at tight end and caught three of four receptions for 62 yards, including a 40-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that helped set up a touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Parkinson enjoyed a breakout 2025 season that included nine touchdowns, with one of them representing the game-winning score in the Rams’ wild-card win over Carolina to open the playoffs. He set career highs across the board in receptions (51), receiving yards (560), and touchdowns.
Super Bowl LX will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The game will be televised on NBC. It is the second time the Patriots and Seahawks meet in the Super Bowl. Their first meeting was Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, featuring one of the most memorable endings in NFL history that resulted in the Patriots winning 28-24. It is the second Super Bowl hosted at Levi’s Stadium (Super Bowl 50), and the third in Bay Area history (Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium).