Mitch Van Vooren is a former Big East track record holder who traded the hurdles for tight end and is now chasing an NFL roster spot with the Patriots.
Van Vooren started his college career as a decorated track athlete at Marquette before transferring to Division III St. Norbert as a graduate student to play football. After stints with Seattle and Cleveland, the Wisconsin native signed with New England ahead of the 2026 season.
Path to the league
A Wisconsin native, Van Vooren spent four years at Marquette earning varsity letters in track and field, setting the school record in the 400-meter hurdles and earning Big East All-Academic honors all four years. He then transferred to Division III St. Norbert College as a graduate student to compete in both track and football.
Career highlights
At St. Norbert, Van Vooren caught 65 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns across two seasons, including 10 touchdowns in his 2024 season alone, which earned him first-team All-NACC honors. He also picked up first-team All-American recognition in track, giving him a rare dual-sport resume heading into the NFL.
2025 season recap
Van Vooren signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent on June 4, 2025, but was released just over a week later. He caught on with the Cleveland Browns that August before being released again later that month, leaving him without regular-season NFL action in 2025.
Sources
- NBC Sports Boston: Mitch Van Vooren
- ESPN: Mitch Van Vooren
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- -
- Hometown
- Marinette, WI, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
