It is officially Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama.
The Reese’s Senior Bowl does a terrific job of annually showcasing the best senior-class talent from the college football world that are looking to make the jump to the next level.
Tennessee has three representatives doing Senior Bowl activities this week in Mobile. Defensive lineman/edge rusher Byron Young and offensive lineman Darnell Wright will both be going through all the events during the week as they prepare to play for the American Team on Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Hendon Hooker is also in attendance for the event.
Despite Hooker’s inability to go through on-field drills due to the ACL injury that was suffered in November, the former Tennessee quarterback is still going to go through all of the off-the-field activities as he continues his preparation for the NFL Draft.
One of the most important aspects of the off-the-field circuit is the player’s ability to meet with NFL teams and scouts. Fortunately, though, there won’t be any scuttlebutt or rumors going around about which players met with which teams throughout the week.
According to Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, every player this week will be speaking with all 32 teams.
“In (an) attempt to un-clutter everyone’s (timeline) this week, all 125 players will be meeting with all 32 NFL teams at @seniorbowl,” Nagy tweeted. “Absolutely zero need for ‘Player X met with Team Z’ posts. Have a great Monday!”
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So, there it is. Confirmation that Hooker, Wright, and Young will be meeting with all 32 teams over the span of the next week.
Hooker’s availability with the media looks like it will be a fairly big storyline here in the first few days of the event.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Monday morning, Hooker will be featured in an NFL Network interview segment coming up sometime this week. While details were scarce in the original tweet, it is nonetheless fantastic publicity for a dynamic player that won’t be able to show off his skills on the field.
“Former Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, who tore his left ACL on Nov. 19, is off crutches and told me he should be running by end of March and ready for training camp. He’s at the @SeniorBowl to speak with teams — and says he’s still the best player in the draft. More on @nflnetwork.”
Former Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, who tore his left ACL on Nov. 19, is off crutches and told me he should be running by end of March and ready for training camp. He’s at the @seniorbowl to speak with teams — and says he’s still the best player in the draft. More on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/lYZpB6jbFV
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2023
One fan in the comments section, Keith Cordero Jr., responded by asking ESPN radio host Jeremy Branham if Hooker would be a good late pick for the Texans.
“I’d be shocked if he isn’t picked in the first three rounds,” Branham replied.
All in all, though, this is great news for the former Tennessee quarterback. The fact that Hendon Hooker is already off of crutches, working with a confident mindset, and has a timeline to run again after suffering that ACL tear in late November is nothing short of remarkable.
In his second and final year with the Tennessee football program in 2022, Hendon Hooker ended the season with 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions through the air. Hooker also added in five touchdowns with his legs.
The 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on the NFL Network.
Today’s prospect breakdown:
QB Hendon Hooker, @Vol_Football2022 Grades:
-Overall: 90.9
-Total Passing: 85.4
-Intermediate: 74.6
-Deep: 93 5
-No Pressure: 91.2
-Pressure: 43.7-Hooker finished the last three seasons (2020-2022) with an average overall grade of 85.6#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/SWbdL6TLhO
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) January 31, 2023
