Hendon Hooker pens letter to Tennessee football in Players' Tribune before Orange Bowl
Hendon Hooker penned an emotional letter to Tennessee football in The Players' Tribune that published Friday before the Vols' game against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
The Vols quarterback shared memories of his early practices in Knoxville, the moments before UT's winning drive against Alabama and restoring the Vols to national relevance.
"We matter now," Hooker wrote.
Hooker won't play for the Vols against Clemson on Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Miami Gardens, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium. His tremendous two-year run as Tennessee's quarterback ended when he tore his ACL against South Carolina on Nov. 19.
Hooker detailed the aftermath of his injury, sharing that the medical staff diagnosed him in the injury tent. He said he started bawling his eyes out before walking off the field with his head held high.
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Hooker completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,153 yards and 27 touchdowns with two interceptions, leading UT to a 9-1 start, the program's best start since 1998 and its first win over Alabama since 2006.
The Greensboro, North Carolina, native transferred to Tennessee in January 2021 after starting his career at Virginia Tech. He committed to ex-Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt, then stuck through the transition into the Josh Heupel era. The pair proved a perfect match and have revived the struggling Tennessee program.
Hooker lost the starting quarterback job to Joe Milton before the 2021 season but took over midway through the second game and held onto the spot for the past 22 games. He threw for 6,080 yards and 58 touchdowns with only five interceptions over that span. He also rushed for 1,050 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Hooker was 25-for-42 passing for 247 yards and three touchdowns at South Carolina before he was injured. He was running left on an option when he suffered the injury on a noncontact play.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Hendon Hooker pens letter to Tennessee football in Players' Tribune
