Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker hasn’t played in a football game since tearing his ACL against the South Carolina Gamecocks in November 2022.
At the time of the injury, Hooker was a viewed as a likely Heisman Trophy finalist and a potential first round NFL Draft selection.
The torn ACL robbed Hooker of a chance to go to New York as a Heisman finalist. And he fell to the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft because of the injury.
While missing out on those opportunities was certainly difficult for Hooker, it was not being able to prepare for the Vols’ matchup in the Orange Bowl against Clemson that was especially tough for the former Tennessee quarterback.
“Doing the bowl prep, that was always my favorite time because you get to scrimmage every day,” said Hooker recently to The Detroit News. “It’s all good-on-good and nothing but competitiveness and hunger during that period. Being in the hospital, away from my teammates, that was tough. Then not being able to showcase my talents during the draft period, to prove I was the best in this class, was also tough.”
Hooker was recently added to Detroit’s active roster, which will allow him to continue to practice with the Lions throughout the rest of the season. He isn’t expected to see the field this season, but the practice time will be invaluable to Hooker’s continued development.
And it’s clear from Hooker’s comments about missing bowl game prep last December that he has an insatiable desire to compete. And he’s undoubtedly ready to get back on the field to feed that desire.