BIOGRAPHY
Hendon Hooker was born January 13, 1998, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a quarterback in the NFL.
In 2021, Hooker transferred to the University of Tennessee. Under head coach Josh Heupel, He entered the 2021 season as the backup to Joe Milton. Milton suffered an injury against Pitt in the season's second game. Hooker came into the game in relief and helped lead Tennessee to a close loss to the Panthers. Hooker took over the starting job and produced numerous productive outings for Tennessee. He had six games with at least three passing touchdowns, which included a 316-yard, four-touchdown game in a 45–42 victory over Kentucky and a 378-yard, five-touchdown game in a 48–45 overtime loss to Purdue in the Music City Bowl. He finished the 2021 season with 2,945 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and three interceptions to go along with 166 carries for 616 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He led the SEC in adjusted passing yards per attempt and passing efficiency rating. The Volunteers finished 2021 with a 7–6 record.
Hooker returned to the Volunteers in 2022 for his final collegiate season. He started the season with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a 59–10 victory over Ball State. In the following game against #17 Pitt, he passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns in the 34–27 overtime victory. He threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in overtime to Cedric Tillman. Following a 63–6 victory over Akron, the Vols reached a #11 ranking in the AP Poll. In the following game, Hooker passed for 349 yards and two passing touchdowns to go along with 112 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a 38–33 victory over rival Florida. Hooker helped lead the #8 Vols to a 5–0 start following a 40–13 victory over #25 LSU. Tennessee's successful start to the season gave them a #6 ranking to set up an undefeated showdown with longtime rival #3 Alabama. Hooker passed for 385 yards, five passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 52–49 victory over the Crimson Tide, Tennessee's first victory over Alabama since 2006. With the score tied at 49 late in the fourth quarter, Hooker led a drive down the field with two clutch throws to Ramel Keyton and Bru McCoy to set up Chase McGrath's game-winning 40-yard field goal. All of Hooker's passing touchdowns in the Alabama game went to future Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt. Hooker helped lead Tennessee to their first 6–0 start since 1998. Tennessee was propelled to a #3 ranking. In the following two games, a 65–24 victory over UT Martin and a 44–6 victory over rival #19 Kentucky, Hooker passed for three touchdowns in both games. For the first time in program history, Tennessee was named #1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings before a showdown with undefeated Georgia, which was ranked #1 in the AP Poll. Tennessee reached #2 in the AP Poll, their highest ranking since 2001. Hooker passed for 195 yards and an interception in the 27–13 loss to Georgia. On Senior Day, Hooker passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown in a 66–24 victory over Missouri. Hooker’s collegiate career came to an abrupt end against South Carolina when he suffered a torn ACL in a non contact injury in the fourth quarter of the 63–38 loss. In his second season with the Volunteers, Hooker started 11 games, completed 229 of 329 attempted passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Towards the end of the season, Hooker finished fifth place in Heisman Trophy voting. He was named First-Team All-SEC and earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year for his 2022 season. He led the SEC in pass completion percentage and passing efficiency rating and the NCAA in passing yards per attempt and adjusted passing yards per attempt. Hooker was instrumental for a resurgent season for the Tennessee Volunteers football program. Tennessee's 11 wins, of which Hooker was the starting quarterback for nine of them, were the most for the program since 2001 and tied for the second-most in school history.
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