CJ Dippre got the call.
On Monday, the New England Patriots signed the former Lakeland High School and Alabama tight end to their 53-man roster from the practice squad.
The 6-foot-5, 256-pound Dippre, who will wear No. 82, signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent May 9. He played in all three preseason games for New England and was one of the team’s final cuts before landing on the practice squad..
“I feel great for him,” CJ’s father, Chris, said on Monday. “It hasn’t really hit me yet. When I actually see him out there on the field, I think it will hit me hard. He got scout team player of the week a couple of times, going against the No. 1s, so he’s been working hard.
“For me, knowing how he has invested in this dream since he was a young boy makes it really special. Of course, there is always adversity, but he kept working. I think he is in the right place there with coach Mike Vrabel. Hopefully it works out.”
New England, which is in first place in the AFC East with a 9-2 record, plays at the Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
New England’s starting tight end and team captain is Hunter Henry, and Austin Hooper is the backup, with Dippre listed as third on the depth chart. Henry has 34 receptions for 422 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Dippre was an all-state football player and state-medal winner in the discus at Lakeland. He was a highly-regarded tight end prospect who started his collegiate career at the University of Maryland. At Maryland, Dippre had 32 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons. He entered the transfer portal and chose to attend the University of Alabama. He had 32 receptions for 443 yards and was a two-time Mackey Award watchlist member with the Crimson Tide. He also helped lead Alabama to the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff in 2023.
He is the second player from Lakeland to make an NFL regular-season roster. Defensive lineman Jerry Boyarsky, a fifth-round draft pick, played nine seasons and played for four teams. He started with the New Orleans Saints, spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, one season with the Buffalo Bills and four seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Dippre’s NFL debut concludes an exciting week for the family.
On Saturday, Lacota Dippre, CJ’s younger brother, will play for James Madison University, which will play Washington State at 1 p.m. He has 12 receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown for the Dukes, who already qualified for the Sun Belt Conference championship game and are ranked No. 21 in The Associated Press poll this week.