Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Malik Hooker was born April 2, 1996, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He is a safety in the NFL. 

After redshirting his first year at Ohio State in 2014, Hooker played in all 13 games in 2015, recording 10 tackles playing mostly special teams. As a redshirt sophomore in 2016, he took over at free safety. During the first game of the season, he recorded his first two career interceptions. On November 29, 2016, Hooker was named First Team All-Big Ten. After the season, Hooker decided to forgo the remaining two years of eligibility and enter the 2017 NFL Draft. After his college career, it was revealed that Hooker underwent surgeries for a torn labrum in his hip and a sports hernia. As a result, Hooker could not participate in the combine.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Hooker in the first round (15th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the second safety selected, behind LSU's Jamal Adams. He finished his rookie season with 22 combined tackles (16 solo), four pass deflections, and three interceptions in seven games and six starts. In the 2018 season, he finished the season with 41 tackles (28 solo), 3 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery. In his 2019 and 2020 seasons, he had to deal with injuries.