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Tennessee Volunteers

Joey Halzle shares incredible story of Hendon Hooker being involved in bowl prep

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Hendon Hooker might not be able to lead the huddle when Tennessee takes on Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Friday night in Miami.

But the quarterback who led the Volunteers to heights this fall not seen in Knoxville in recent memory is still very much involved in Tennessee’s preparation.

Just listen to Vols quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle walk through a story about Hooker, who tore the ACL in his left knee in a late-season loss at South Carolina to bring a bitter end to a dazzling season and career. Hooker is doing everything possible to get backup-turned-starting quarterback Joe Milton ready for the showdown with the Tigers.

“It’s pretty special to see,” said Halzle. “He’s still here, and he’s wanting to make sure that we perform well as a team, which is unique. But he’s a unique young man.”

And a unique player who had a unique 2022 season.

Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdown passes with only 2 interceptions. He had a passer rating of 175.5, and his completion percentage was just under 70%.

Hooker wasn’t a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, but he finished 5th in the final Heisman voting, 1 spot ahead of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, last year’s Heisman winner.

Cory Nightingale

Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.

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