Patriots' Caleb Lomu Reveals Heartwarming Moment from Flight to Boston
Since being selected with the 28th in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu has been riding the wave of excitement.
From showcasing his dance moves to the NFL universe to beginning the bonding process with his new teammates, Lomu has been enjoying the rights the privileges which come with being selected in the opening round of April's Draft. Most recently, Lomu added another first-year milestone to his gridiron dossier - being officially welcomed to the club by team ownership and members of the media at Gillette Stadium.
Standing behind a Patriots podium for the first time, Lomu savored each moment of the photo op while holding a symbolic Patriots jersey with team owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft. As he expressed his excitement and gratitude for joining the Patriots, he also shared a heartwarming story regarding his traveling from Arizona to New England for this week's introduction.
As fate would have it, that journey was made a bit more memorable by a beloved family member.
While preparing to make his way from the arid southwest to Boston, Mass., Lomu's uncle, Curtis Tanner, had a surprise in store for his famous nephew. Tanner, a pilot for American Airlines, was assigned to the same flight on which Lomu had been booked just one day earlier. For Tanner, the opportunity to capitalize on such a coincidence was too good to ignore.
"He texted my mom the day before, two days ago, and he was like, 'Hey, what flight is Caleb on? I just got assigned to this last-minute flight to Boston,'" Lomu told reporters at Gillette Stadium. "So it ended up being the exact same flight."
Knowing his uncle's penchant for finding good-natured humor at the expense of his family members, Lomu suspected that a photo-worthy moment may have been waiting for him at the gate. Much to his amusement, Tanner did not disappoint.
"He's the type of uncle to where he's going to embarrass you a little bit," Lomu added. "So, I knew it was coming. So my family told me to film it … So I got on the plane and I was kind of just waiting. Then of course, he got on the intercom and started talking. At first, I thought he was going to just talk about me, but he brought me to the front. He gave me this flight pin of my first flight with him, just telling everyone who I was...
"‘Proud Uncle' is what he kept saying, so it was awesome."
Caleb Lomu Will Bolster New England's Offensive Line
While Lomu's pride for his family cannot be denied, it has also become clear that he is quite proud to become a Patriot - with the feeling certainly mutual. In fact, New England executed a rare trade with their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills - surrendering both the 31st and the 125th (fourth-round) selections - to Lomu.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Lomu is expected to immediately impact New England's pass protection. His versatility to play both tackle positions should make him a valuable asset for the Patriots offense. Lomu has both the skill set and the motivation to succeed in New England, a place he hopes to explore in the coming months.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots' Caleb Lomu Reveals Heartwarming Moment from Flight to Boston.
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 4:53 PM.