Legendary Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is back in Neyland Stadium Saturday night for the Vols’ critical late September SEC matchup against South Carolina.
Hooker, who is working back from an injury with the Detroit Lions, made it to Knoxville after the Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football earlier this week.
#VFL Hendon Hooker is back in Neyland Stadium pic.twitter.com/iduuJuXz4m
— Paige Dauer (@PaigeWVLT8) September 30, 2023
It’s the first game Hooker’s returned to since leaving Tennessee after last season and it is fitting in some ways. Hooker’s Tennessee career ended at South Carolina last season when he tore his ACL in the fourth quarter of the Vols’ 63-38 loss in Columbia.
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Back in Knoxville, Hooker is cheering on Joe Milton III and the rest of his former Tennessee teammates as the Vols look to earn a critical SEC win over the Gamecocks.
Hooker was integral in Josh Heupel’s turnaround of Tennessee football starting 22 games over the course of the 2021 and 22 seasons. The Virginia Tech transfer was fantastic a season ago when he completed 70% of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions.
The star quarterback added 430 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on his way to earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Hooker was brilliant in streak ending wins over Florida and Alabama as well as blowout victories over LSU and Kentucky.
Kickoff at Neyland Stadium is at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday night. Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic are on the call for the SEC Network.
