DeAndre Hopkins is one of the few players in the NFL carrying the title of superstar.
Hopkins, also known as “Nuk,” was an icon in Houston and the state of Texas in its entirety. His roots from Clemson, South Carolina developed into a fanbase across the nation due to his humble ascension to star college receiver.
Hopkins initially joined a Houston Texans team riddled with quarterback issues and a lack of national recognition. Despite this, Nuk put up dominant numbers starting in 2014. He began to come up in backyard football debates about possibly being a top receiver in the league.
Houston’s brilliant trade up in the 2017 draft for another Clemson star, Deshaun Watson, skyrocketed the Texans offense. Hopkins and the Texans finally had their franchise signal caller, and the national television games began popping up more for Houston. Watson and Hopkins were dynamic.
Three years and 4,115 receiving yards later, Hopkins is on his way to the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray.
The discussion for Bill O’Brien’s decision to trade DeAndre is for another time. How does this affect Arizona sports culture as a whole?
DeAndre Hopkins brings a wealth of fans from the Carolinas, Texas and all those enamored with his play on Houston’s nationally televised games. As one of the most recognized names in the NFL, the national spotlight follows Hopkins to his new team, the Arizona Cardinals.
Those Cardinals have been conservative in free agency and some of their first-round draft choices in recent memory. Outside of Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones, and Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals were missing star power, the kind that makes an NFL team nationally acknowledged and supported.
The stigma in the NFL world often teases Arizona as a retirement home’ for former Pro-Bowlers and stars. To their credit, they have had success bringing in players like Carson Palmer, but the fact remains nonetheless. They were never the team with the biggest offseason headlines.
The Cardinals shifted the recent conservative trend with the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury and the drafting of quarterback Kyler Murray, just one year removed from taking another signal caller with their first draft selection. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins is the perfect complement to the new-look Cards.
Hopkins brings Arizona an icon in the community similar to that of his new teammate, Larry Fitzgerald. DeAndre was an active member in helping the Houston community, and has wasted no time in doing the same for Arizona.
Arizona sports have now added another icon that gives them national relevancy. Maybe the Cardinals now receive more primetime games, potentially taking the previous slots from the Houston Texans. No. 10 jerseys may very well go into the same tier as Larry Fitzgerald, Kyler Murray, and Suns’ Devin Booker in terms of popularity amongst the state.
Superstar DeAndre Hopkins is a break in the recent conservative Arizona sports trend. He brings a large fanbase, dominant play on the field, and national spotlight with him. One of the most recognized names in American sports now resides in the desert.
Sensational.
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Ep. 263
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Ep. 262
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