“Hendon and the Hooker family appreciate all of your prayers and support,” the Volunteers said in a statement shared on social media. “Hendon’s incredible journey has been defined by faith, perseverance and strength. Obstacles have never stood in the way on his path to greatness. Forever a Tennessee legend and the ultimate teammate, we know Hendo will come back stronger than ever as he embarks on a promising NFL future. Thank you, Hendo.”
Joe Milton, who replaced Hooker at quarterback following the latter’s injury Saturday, is set to be the starter for the Volunteers in next week’s regular season finale at Vanderbilt and in a bowl game. Milton, a redshirt senior who transferred last year from Michigan, started the first two games for Tennessee in 2021 before suffering an injury. That opened the door for Hooker, who took over the position at that point and led the Volunteers to a 7-6 finish that year under Coach Josh Heupel, then in his first season.
Tennessee is 9-2 this year and, even after a 63-38 loss to South Carolina, is in position for its first 10-win season since 2007. If the Volunteers win this Saturday and in a bowl game to get to 11-2, it will be their most victories since 2001.
The blowout loss to the Gamecocks, though, will almost certainly cost Tennessee any chance this season at a national championship. The Volunteers remained in fifth place last week in the College Football Playoff rankings, just one spot shy of a berth in the two-round playoff, but they are expected to take a tumble when this week’s list is revealed Tuesday. In the latest Associated Press media poll unveiled Sunday, Tennessee dropped from fifth to ninth.
Hooker ends his season with 3,135 yards on 69.6 percent passing for 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also added 430 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, and was a leading contender for the Heisman entering this week.
“He’s playing as high a level as I’ve ever had anybody, and I’ve had Heisman guys,” Heupel had said of Hooker on Monday. “He’s in complete command of what we’re doing. When you look at the efficiency of how he’s playing, the ability to take care of the football, the dynamic plays that he’s made with his arm and his feet, we don’t look like we do offensively without him. He’s certainly deserving of being in that conversation.”
What a TRANSCENDENT year for Hendon Hooker. Helped bring Tennessee back to relevancy, firmly in the Heisman Trophy race all year and an easy guy to root for. Praying for a full recovery from his knee injury.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 20, 2022
A four-star prospect coming out of high school in 2017, Hooker initially went to Virginia Tech and spent four years there. He started 15 games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons before moving to Tennessee in the transfer portal. In that two-season stretch with the Hokies, he appeared in 19 games and completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, with another 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
At Tennessee, Hooker set program records with 20 consecutive games with a touchdown pass and 261 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. With a career completion percentage in Knoxville of 68.8, he also soared past a program record that had been set by Peyton Manning (62.5).
Hooker tore the ligament in his left knee Saturday without contact when he tried to plant it on a fourth-quarter option keeper. He had assistance in getting off the field and did not return to the game.
“It was probably one of the worst things I have seen out there,” Tennessee offensive lineman Jerome Carvin said of Hooker’s injury after the loss to South Carolina. “Just to know how hard he works. Probably the hardest-working guy I have ever played with. It is so unfortunate for it to happen to a guy like that. If I know anything, I know he will bounce back from it for sure. He is a warrior. I know he will.”
