Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker made the Detroit Lions' initial 53-man roster this week.
Hooker, a third round selection by the Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, missed all of his rookie season while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered at Tennessee in 2022.
The former Vol returned to the field this summer and played well in Detroit's preseason games. As a result, Hooker, for now, is the Lions' No. 2 quarterback behind Jared Goff (rosters will continue to evolve over the next week, so there's always the potential for Hooker's standing on the depth chart to change).
On Thursday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who played college football at North Carolina A&T (as did Hooker's father, Alan), met with the media and he shared some thoughts on Hooker.
"I'll say for Hendon, I don't think it was one moment, I would just say the more reps he got, the more confident he got," said Holmes. "And the more he played, the more confidence we had in him. When I look back at Hendon, going back to his college career, really what he's doing right now is not a whole lot different than what his college path was.
"When he came out of Dudley High School and got to Virginia Tech, he didn't just become the guy. He had to work and grind. He was in a competition. He had to battle, he had to wait his time. And eventually it came. Then when he hit the portal and went to UT, it was the same thing. He was competing, he had to battle, he had to be behind someone. And he just kept putting the work in. We have confidence in him because he's wired right to go through that. He's already proven that he can go through that. I think he's really taken the same kind of steps that he's always taken. But obviously you see the ability and the talent that he has. He gave a lot of life and spark to the offense when he had his opportunities. And he's still learning and he's still growing."
Goff is the unquestioned starter in Detroit. And after signing a four-year contract extension earlier this offseason, that likely isn't changing anytime soon.
Hooker, however, is a nice security blanket for the Lions. The Greensboro, NC native showed that he can provide a spark for the offense if he's needed off the bench. Being the No. 2 quarterback for an NFL franchise isn't exactly glamorous, but it's an incredibly important role. And its sounds like the Lions, a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations in 2024, trust Hooker to serve in that role.
Related: Chattanooga coach references Tennessee's Jim Mora controversy from last season ahead of season-opener against Vols
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