Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker got some unfortunate news on Monday night.
Hooker is not one of the four Heisman Trophy finalists. Instead, it’s Georgia’s Stetson Bennet, TCU’s Max Duggan, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, and USC’s Caleb Williams.
Don’t forget: Hendon Hooker had the best Heisman moment of any player this season. pic.twitter.com/NkYOra6IxP
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) November 30, 2022
At one point this season, Hooker was considering the overwhelming favorite to win the award.
Hooker, however, tore his ACL in Tennessee’s disappointing loss to South Carolina which caused him to miss the Vols’ final game of the season (against Vanderbilt).
The Greensboro, NC native finished the 2022 season with 3,135 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also had 430 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Hooker accomplished those numbers against one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
Heisman QB Candidates vs. Current Top 20 Total Defenses as of 12/2 ⤵️
— Bill Martin (@Bill_Martin) December 3, 2022
Hooker (3-1, 1,273 yds, 11 TD)
Shroud (3-1, 1,259 yds, 12 TD)
Williams (0-2, 822 yds, 8 TD)
Maye (1-0, 449 yds, 5 TD)
Duggan (1-0, 215 yds, 3 TD)
Bennett (1-0, 141 yds, 1 TD)
Young, Penix (DNP) pic.twitter.com/fBSkyYITSM
Hooker was certainly deserving of the award and to be a finalist. But the voters didn’t see it the same way. It’s a shame because no one embodied what the award means better than Hooker.
This is Hendon Hooker:
— Austin Stanley (@AustinStanley81) December 4, 2022
– Excellence ✅
– Integrity ✅
– Great Ability ✅
– Diligence ✅
– Perseverance ✅
– Hard Work ✅
Those last three hit hard once you think about the adversity Hooker had throughout his entire CFB career. #Vols #HeismanHendon pic.twitter.com/DipM3FBT8m
Tennessee fans, however, will never forget the massive impact he made on the Vols’ program.
Featured image via Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
