How history shows us that Vols QB Hendon Hooker still has an argument to win the Heisman Trophy
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker saw his Heisman Trophy hopes take a severe hit earlier this month due to the torn ACL he suffered in UT's loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. At one time, Hooker was considered by many to be the favorite in the Heisman Trophy race. USC quarterback Caleb Williams has seemingly […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker saw his Heisman Trophy hopes take a severe hit earlier this month due to the torn ACL he suffered in UT's loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
At one time, Hooker was considered by many to be the favorite in the Heisman Trophy race.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams has seemingly moved into the lead in the Heisman race with Hooker sidelined.
Hooker, however, should still be in the conversation. At the very least, he should be among the finalists in New York for the Heisman ceremony.
In fact, there's a historical precedent for this (a player who missed a game going to the ceremony) to happen.
In 1993, Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy after missing a game against Maryland (the 9th game of the season) with a rib injury.
Ward, coincidently, beat out Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler for the award.
The last Heisman winner to miss a contest, he sat out Florida State’s ninth game against Maryland after injuring his ribs in the eighth game against Wake Forest. He came back the following week in FSU’s loss to Notre Dame. Despite missing the one game, he still threw for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns with just four interceptions that season and went on to win the Heisman in a landslide over Heath Shuler of Tennessee.
Williams is going to end up with better numbers than Hooker. And he's certainly deserving of the award.
Hooker, however, deserves consideration (especially when you consider he played against a tougher schedule). And he definitely deserves to be on the stage in New York when the award is handed out in December.
Unfortunately, Hooker can't just be invited to the ceremony as a finalist.
For Hooker to be a finalist, he'll need to be among the top four vote-getters. The Heisman voting begins on November 28 and ends on December 5. The four finalists will be announced on December 5.
If Hooker isn't among the top four vote-getters, it'll be a travesty. The Greensboro, NC native absolutely deserves to be on that stage, thanks to his numbers, his leadership, his character, and his clutch play (aka his Heisman moment) in the final seconds of Tennessee's 52-49 win against Alabama.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
