‘I Can’t Believe I Get to Work Here’

A lot of kids grow up idolizing the New England Patriots. English alum Carter Hochman ’19 is among the select few who end up working for them.

Now in his second season as digital and social media coordinator for the Patriots, Hochman manages the team’s YouTube content — creating and curating highlight clips, behind-the-scenes moments and more for the channel’s 310,000-plus subscribers.

“I can’t believe I get to work here. It’s even better than I could have imagined,” the Lexington native says. “As somebody coming out of college with concentrations in journalism and professional writing, it's everything that you want in a job.” 

At UMass Lowell, Hochman essentially double-majored in sports. He was a goalkeeper on the Division I men’s soccer team and worked for the Athletics Department, assisting with game-day operations and public address duties — even donning the Rowdy mascot suit at hockey games. He also served as a sideline reporter for ESPN3 broadcasts of UML basketball games and started several sports-related podcasts and blogs. 

“Without my experience at UMass Lowell, especially as a student-athlete, I wouldn’t have the mental capacity to deal with the things you need to handle in professional sports,” he says. “The grind, the constantly changing environments — it all prepared me for this.”

After graduating, Hochman got a part-time job as mascot for Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution, who, like the Patriots, are owned by the Kraft Group.  

“I got to see the inner workings of a major sports organization, even if it was through the mask of a mascot costume. It reaffirmed that I wanted to work in that kind of environment,” says Hochman, who went on to assist the team’s TV and radio broadcasts with statistics.

In 2023, Hochman became social media and marketing associate for the Boston Fleet, the Professional Women’s Hockey League team that plays its home games at the Tsongas Center. A year later, he jumped at the opportunity with the Patriots.

“As someone who grew up in the Greater Boston area, the Patriots were the ultimate example of excellence in professional sports,” Hochman says. “You look at what the Kraft family builds and the opportunities that they provide to so many people. It’s a privilege to be part of the organization.”

While the job is demanding, Hochman finds energy in the environment. 

“Being on the field and seeing how excited fans are to see players like Drake Maye, Christian Gonzalez and Stefon Diggs, I've never experienced anything like it. It’s so fun to be a part of,” he says.

Hochman is also learning from some of the most talented creatives in the industry.

“Every day, I get to bounce ideas off people who are the best at what they do,” he says. “You’re never done growing as a content producer. There’s always a way to be more creative, more innovative, to do something that hasn’t been done before — or to do it better.”

As he continues to climb in his career, Hochman remains grateful for everything that he learned in the classroom and on the playing field at UMass Lowell.

“I will keep coming back as an alum to watch soccer and hockey games, and hopefully pass on some wisdom to student-athletes there now,” he says, “because I owe so much to UMass Lowell.”