Hendon Hooker fires back at critics of Tennessee Vols' offense
One of the biggest questions that former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker has faced during the pre-draft process has been about UT's offense. The Vols run a unique offense that relies on the quarterback making critical presnap reads. Analysts who think there's only one correct way to run an offense have questioned if Hooker will […]
One of the biggest questions that former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker has faced during the pre-draft process has been about UT's offense.
The Vols run a unique offense that relies on the quarterback making critical presnap reads.
Analysts who think there's only one correct way to run an offense have questioned if Hooker will be ready for the NFL due to the offense he played in at Tennessee.
On Thursday at Tennessee's pro day in Knoxville, Hooker was asked about some of those criticisms.
Hooker suggested that just because the Vols make it look easy on Saturdays doesn't mean it's actually that easy.
“It’s always funny to hear people talk about our offense, but it’s a lot of intricacies that go into what we do and how we do it," said Hooker on Thursday. "It’s a lot of things that you have to process, so the mental side of the game is at an all-time high. The physical side of the game, it looks easy because we make it look easy. It’s not because it’s just easy.”
Hooker also discussed his excitement for "board work" — which allows him to showcase his X's and O's knowledge — while meeting with teams during the pre-draft process.
"Honestly, I feel like that’s the bottom line of just being a big-time quarterback or just being a quarterback in general or a big-time ball player," explained Hooker. "Being able to showcase what you know on the board should come naturally, because that’s what you do. This is what we do on a daily basis. Actually putting in work, like I’ve said many times this whole draft-prep season, I spend a lot of time just in the mirror drawing."
“Any time I walk past a mirror, there’s an Expo marker right there and I’m ready to draw on the mirror," added Hooker. "That’s just something that I enjoy doing because I love the game of football.”
There's no doubt that Hooker loves football. He isn't just a player who's good at playing the game, he's a player who loves playing the game. And it shows in the way that he's attended various events — like the Senior Bowl earlier this year — despite being injured and unable to participate.
No one knows what will happen once Hooker gets to the NFL, but he has all the intangibles that teams look for in a franchise quarterback. Someone will give him a chance to earn a starting job based on those intangibles alone.
