Hendon Hooker left Tennessee football as a superstar, one of the best to ever play quarterback for the Vols. But he's bounced around betweenfour different teams after the Detroit Lions picked him 68th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Despite playing sparingly in preseason games, Hooker did enough in training camp to earn a spot on the Tennessee Titans practice squad and is embracing his job as the organization's emergency option at quarterback.
"I was kind of just coming in and doing my job by being the same guy," Hooker told Titans team reporter Jim Wyatt on Sept. 7. "Coming in here early, leaving late and just continuing to take advantage of the opportunities that were given to me."
Few opportunities have come Hooker's way through three seasons
as a pro. He attempted only 13 passes during the 2026 preseason and has appeared in three NFL regular season games.
The Titans kept just two quarterbacks, starter Cam Ward and backup Mitchell Trubisky, on their 53-man roster. He'll likely dress as the emergency third quarterback when they open the season against the New York Jets on Sept. 13.
"Took advantage of the opportunities I had presented my way and put nothing but good film on tape and that's why I'm here today," Hooker said. "I'll be ready whenever my number is called. It's the same thing, take advantage of those reps, get better every day, study as the starter and play like one as well."
It's been four years since Hooker last took the field for the Vols. But the magical 2022 season, in which Hooker led the Vols to the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings before suffering a knee injury in November, made him a fan favorite. So Hooker is happy to be back in a familiar place while battling for a more permanent job in the NFL.
"It's a blessing to be back here in Tennessee, a place I call home and it's truly that way outside of the building and in the building," Hooker said. "Here in the building, it's nothing but guys trying to get better, having the same competitive mindset of winning ball games because that's the goal, to win ball games. Other than that, it's just a blessing to be in the great state of Tennessee and around great people."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How former Tennessee football star Hendon Hooker approaches backup role with Titans
