Hendon Hooker addresses a false narrative that's followed him since his days at Virginia Tech
There's a false narrative that's been following Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker around since his days at Virginia Tech. It hasn't come up much this season, thanks to the strong play of Hooker and the Vols, but it's still something that's been out there for years. And Hooker, for lack of better phrasing, is tired […]
There's a false narrative that's been following Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker around since his days at Virginia Tech.
It hasn't come up much this season, thanks to the strong play of Hooker and the Vols, but it's still something that's been out there for years.
And Hooker, for lack of better phrasing, is tired of hearing about it.
In late 2020, during Hooker's final game action at Virginia Tech, he had issues handling the cold weather.
Hooker fumbled a couple of snaps and was seen shaking uncontrollably on the sidelines.
“The trainer came to me and told me that he was cold,” said then Hokies head coach Justin Fuente after the game. “I don’t know if there’s something more significant or serious or what with that. I’ve never seen that before or heard of that before.”
Hooker told CBS Sports earlier this fall that medicine that had been used during a scope of his heart (which was done because of a lingering issue after contracting Covid-19) reactivated and that was the reason for his shaking on the sideline.
Hooker was shown shaking and almost convulsing on the sideline during a December game against Clemson. When asked about his player after the game, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said his quarterback was "cold." The game time temperature was 37 degrees. Hooker said the medicine they'd used during the scope of his heart had "reactivated."
"You're sitting on the sidelines so long with no movement," Hooker recalled. "You're on the top of the mountain [at Virginia Tech]. There's no heat on the sidelines. You try to do some jumping jacks. All the sudden, my body just starts to shake."
Hooker spoke about the incident again this week with ESPN's Chris Low.
And Hooker got candid, at least by his standards, and sounded a bit frustrated with the "Hooker can't handle cold weather" narrative.
"I'm sure you can ask my opponents, and they'd tell you I'm not soft at all," said Hooker to ESPN. "And I don't get the whole 'cold' thing either. In 2019, we played in pouring-down rain against Pittsburgh, and I threw three touchdowns with short sleeves on. I didn't hear anything then about being cold or soft."
It's extremely rare that you hear Hooker talking about himself in a positive light. He's almost always praising his teammates or his coaches. Hooker is always redirecting the praise back to others.
But you can tell that narrative bothers him. And I don't blame him. There was a legitimate reason for what happened at Virginia Tech in 2020. Unfortunately, Fuente threw him under the bus after the game by simply saying Hooker was "cold".
Hopefully for Hooker's sake, this season puts an end to that silly narrative. They don't make 'em any tougher than Hooker. And if you're questioning that, you obviously haven't watched him play a down for the Vols.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
