KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Hendon Hooker has gone from a backup quarterback to SEC Offensive Player of the Year and pro prospect widely expected to be among the first QBs selected in the 2023 NFL Draft in just three years. The Tennessee standout credits another star quarterback for his success: his father.
Alan Hooker, his father, led North Carolina A&T to its first-ever outright Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in 1986 and set multiple school passing records. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1998 and the MEAC Hall of Fame one year later.
“I’m extremely blessed to have such a great figure to follow in their footsteps,” Hooker said in an ESPN NFL Draft video feature. “He always just preached to me and my siblings that if we start something, we’re going to finish it.”
“He’s Superman in my eyes and hopefully one day I can be half the man he is,” he concluded.
Hooker also told ESPN he was able to fulfill his father’s Oct. 15 birthday wish last year, leading Tennessee to its first win over Alabama since 2006.
He has steadily risen in media projections in the lead-up to the draft despite being unable to participate in workouts as he recovers from a major knee injury, with many forecasting him as a first-round pick. ESPN NFL Draft Analyst & Insider Matt Miller predicted he would be selected 23rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings in his final mock draft.
