Inspiration in action: Age-group competitors proving “Anything is Possible” at the Ironman World Championship

 

Some of the amazing stories to follow at the two Ironman World Championship races this week

KEVIN MACKINNON OCTOBER 4, 2022

When it comes to the Ironman World Championship, each and every athlete in the field has an incredible story. Just making it to the Big Island of Hawaii is a journey. But every year there are a few athletes who take that to a new level, and with 5,000 athletes competing in Kona this week, this year’s race features even more amazing stories. Here are a few of those to follow (including the incredible Lauren Parker, pictured above) as reported by Ironman:

• Dallas Clark (Livermore, Iowa, USA) – Former tight end Dallas Clark picked up triathlon as a hobby after playing 11 seasons in the NFL. Clark played for the Indianapolis Colts where he was part of the Super Bowl XLI winning team, before also playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens. Now he’s taking on one of the biggest challenges of his life racing the 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kona. Clark’s goal includes racing as an Ironman Foundation athlete while also raising $2 Million for Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

T.J. Hockenson: I was able to make plays when they were called

 

Posted by Myles Simmons on October 3, 2022, 11:47 AM EDT

Getty Images

The Lions are scoring and allowing points at a historic rate, with the league’s top offense and worst defense through four games.

While tight end T.J. Hockenson hadn’t been involved much in the team’s first three contests, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back D'Andre Swift were both out for Week Four due to injury. So, Hockenson stepped up.

Hockenson caught eight passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns in Detroit’s wild 48-45 loss to Seattle. Hockenson broke a longstanding franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single game, besting Jim Gibbons’ 161 yards set in 1964.

“Going into the week, I knew it was going to be a fun one,” Hockenson said postgame, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “We knew somebody was going to have to put the team on [his shoulders] and make sure the ball was moving. So that was kind of my goal just coming into this game, keep the ball moving, make plays when they’re called. I was able to do that for sure.”

Hockenson had a 32-yard touchdown in the first quarter to open Detroit’s scoring. He had an 81-yard reception, which saw him rumbling down the field. He caught a 4-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that put the Lions down by three points.

The tight end now leads Detroit with 261 yards and is tied for the team lead with three touchdowns in the young season.

“I think you could see him kind of catch a rhythm,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “He started breaking some tackles, started being extremely decisive on his routes, extremely separating well, and doing a lot of good things. And that’s just who he is. He’s a rhythm player, and getting him in that rhythm is important for us. We needed to do that, and you can see how dangerous he is catching a shallow and taking it 80 yards.

“But, yeah. He is a hell of a player, and we need to keep him involved.”

No matter who Goff is targeting through four weeks, it seems to be working. But Detroit’s defense has to do a better job of getting stops so the prolific offensive performances start turning into wins.

T.J. Hockenson sets NFL record

 

Lions' Week 4 Grades: Offense Excels, Defense Struggles Mightily

CHRISTIAN BOOHER | october 2, 2022

An explosive day for the Detroit Lions' offense was derailed by a porous effort by the defense.

Though the Lions totaled 520 yards of total offense, they allowed 555 yards on defense, and ultimately lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 48-45, Sunday to fall to 1-3 on the season.

Here are the grades for each position group, based on their performance in Sunday’s game. 

Tight ends: A

T.J. Hockenson had a banner day, setting the Lions’ franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end with 179. Additionally, it was his first multi-touchdown game as a pro, and he became the first tight end in NFL history to total over 150 yards, two receiving touchdowns and a two-point conversion in a single game.

He scored his first touchdown on a wheel route, with the possession set up by a fumble recovery. On the final play of the third quarter, he turned a short pass into a career-long 81-yard reception.

Rookie James Mitchell made his NFL debut, but did not make a catch. Additionally, backup tight end Brock Wright was called for holding in the second quarter.

David Reginek, USA TODAY Sports