You couldn’ t blame Hogan for thinking it’ s been along, uninterrupted dream – except for the army of New England Patriots fans who consider him arockstar.

All the Wyckoff native did was deliver the Patriots to the Super Bowl with an historic performance in the AFC Championship victoryover Pittsburgh – nine receptions, 180 yards, two touchdowns and acrowning as New England’ s most popular football player.

OK, not quite. Noone can displace Tom Brady as Pats’ royalty and there are no runners-up to Rob Gronkowski as alatter-day JohnBelushi. But Hogan, awide receiver, wasn’ t exaggerating when he called the run through the playoffs“ amazing.” Nothing matches a Super Bowl conquest in front of 70,000 fans and another 111 million watching on TV. Not unless you become afather soon after.

That’ s where the conversational road goes when Hogan takes stock of his life. Not that Pittsburgh game. Not the miraculouscomeback against the Falcons. It’ s the twins, who arrived six weeks after the Super Bowl, who define Hogan. Family over partying isa no-brainer to one of the NFL’ s genuine good guys.

“ Playingfootball is great, but it’ s areminder of what I’ m working for. I’ m doing it for them,” Hogan says of his wife Ashley and newborns Chase and Parker. Life at home has been a billboard of tranquility – orasmuch as

6-month-oldswill allow. Sleep has been intermittent at best, but Hogan still considers it the best possible dividend of his unlikely arc.

Friends say they’ re not surprised by Hogan’ s luck on both sides of the equation – ahighly skilled athlete who was destined to succeed at Ramapo High School, PennState and Monmouth University before his NFL career. And a clear-eyed, grounded soul whose ego never needs feeding.

“ Chris is the most caring and loving and silly and goofyperson in the world.” Hogan’ s sisterErinntold The Record. With alow-profile, no endorsementdeals and zero bling, how did he become this famous?

Start with a climb that began in high school, where Hogan played football and lacrosse. He didn’ t just excelthere, it was apeek into the future. Hogan led Ramapo to its only state title just three-anda-half weeks after suffering alacerated spleen. He was afirstteam all-stateselection in lacrosse and earned similar all-New Jersey honors in football. Upon graduation, at acrossroads with the two sports, Hogan picked lacrosse at PennState, where he played for threeyears. He was named first-team allconference

as well as voted team captain his senior season – and he wasn’ t finished.

Hogan still had a year of athletic eligibility because of an ankleinjury in 2008, choosing to return to New Jersey( Monmouth) and to the sport that offered apossible future in the pros( football). From this point on, his path is the stuff of legends and has been recounted countless times by the national media. Hogan’ sfootball homecoming was like a thunderclap – first game, first reception, a

17-yard touchdown.

By the Hawks’ fourth game, because of injuries and a thinned roster, Monmouth coach Kevin Callahan asked Hogan if he’ d mind playing defense. The question didn’ t even have to be asked; Hogan became atwo-way player without asecond prompt. All he did was dominate at cornerback, with two interceptions, while still picking up akey 41-yard reception at wide receiver. No wonderCallahan still tells this story today, even though calling Hogan an“ impact” player barely describes what’ s made him unique. Hogan has been blessed with the gift of laser-focus – not

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14 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 |( 201) FAMILY