Parker Hesse catches touchdown in pre-season opener

Waukon High School 2014 graduate Parker Hesse got the 2022 National Football League (NFL) pre-season off to a strong start in the Atlanta Falcons’ 27-23 pre-season victory at Detroit Friday, August 12. Listed as a starting tight end for the Falcons in their pre-season opener, Hesse caught the first touchdown pass of his NFL career in the second quarter of Atlanta’s win.

Capping off the Falcons’ second drive of that second quarter, the two passes thrown toward Hesse in the ballgame both came on that series. After not connecting with Falcon rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder on a 21-yard touchdown pass attempt late in the drive, the two did connect two plays later on first down and goal on a play-action pass where Hesse first went into blocking mode before edging out to the right to haul in a one-yard pass from Ridder for a 14-10 Falcon lead with 4:36 left before halftime.

Hesse was also instrumental in Atlanta’s first touchdown of the ballgame. He maintained a block on the left side that allowed Falcon starting quarterback Marcus Mariotta to score on a six-yard quarterback keeper that tied the game at 7-7 with 39 seconds left in the first quarter. In the Falcons’ limited pre-season rotation, Hesse had that one pass reception in the game for his one-yard touchdown catch.