Hendon Hooker, Oct. 15, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Hendon Hooker is a quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers football team representing the University of Tennessee. On Saturday, Oct. 15, he pulled off such an impressive win over Alabama Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama that some observers say he could be a shoo-in for the Heisman Trophy.
Hooker’s standout play helped No. 8 Tennessee knock off top-ranked Alabama 52-49.
The Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football; it is awarded in early December before the postseason bowl games.
It was a near-perfect game for Hooker, but there were a few hiccups. Hooker “engineered an upset in one of the best games of the year, but he still threw an interception, had another called back by a penalty, and had a crucial fumble on a botched exchange with his running back,” Yahoo Sports reported.
Hooker, however, has had an outstanding season-he’s thrown for 1,817 yards with 15 touchdowns and just one interception.
The game against Alabama on Saturday was a big stage for Hooker. And not only did he crush it, he’s one prospect the NFL is already looking at, Sports Illustrated reported. One strike against him though might be his age, the graduate student will be 25 on draft day.
Hooker, a senior at the university, is a 2022 National Player of the Year candidate. One of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation, he comes from a family of quarterbacks, including his father and brother, according to the University of Tennessee Sports blog.
His father, Alan, is in the North Carolina A&T Hall of Fame after a stellar playing career as quarterback. Alan was the 1986 National Black College Offensive Player of the Year. Hooker’s younger brother, Alston, is also playing QB at North Carolina A&T.
Hooker, who started playing football at the age of four at the local YMCA, earned his undergraduate degree in public relations from Virginia Tech in December 2020 and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in agricultural leadership, education, and communication at the University of Tennessee.
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) throws to a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
