It’s sounding more and more like new Buffalo Bills safety Amani Hooker could suit up to play in Week 10 against the New York Jets, at least if we’re to read the tea leaves from head coach Joe Brady’s latest media session. Brady pointed to Hooker’s status as a “savvy” and “cerebral” eight-year NFL veteran who oozes “football intelligence” with a ton of experience to boot.
Brady said that “(s)ometimes it’s just about learning the terminology, and it might of meant this in one place, but now it’s this —
and I think these guys usually pick it up at a fast rate.” As such, Brady and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard aren’t going to hurry Hooker, nor ask him to do anything he’s not prepared to tackle within Buffalo’s scheme, noting “we’ll take it day by day and see how much he can process, and how fast he can and what he can handle to be able to go out there on the road and be able to communicate — whatever he can handle, we’ll ask him to do that.”
It’s undoubtedly a short turnaround for Hooker to potentially suit up and play for his new team. Fortunately, he was on a bye this past week with his old team, the Tennessee Titans. However, arriving on Wednesday and having to navigate everything that comes with packing up and moving to a new city is no small feat for an NFL player. For his part, Hooker sounds ready to go, and very excited, admitting that he’s “on social media, so I hear all the rumors,” which means he probably had a feeling something was brewing.
When asked about the challenge of changing teams midseason, Hooker didn’t hesitate in stepping up to the plate, saying “I pride myself on being a pro and being ready when my name is called no matter what.” His plan? Hooker will soak up all he can with his coaches this week, putting in “a little overtime this week and get up to speed on the style of play we want here, and just deliver.”
When asked just how different is Leonhard’s scheme is, Hooker simply said that “at the end of the day, it’s football. Every team runs Cover 4. Every team runs Cover 2, and Cover 3. So, it’s really just about terminology, and what they call different things , and how they play certain looks.
That Brady isn’t ruling out Hooker playing in Week 10 speaks to the important role he’s set to play as a starter alongside safety Cole Bishop. One Bills Drive has been searching for a new lock-down safety tandem since Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer hung up their Bills cleats.
President of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane went so far as to compare Hooker to Hyde following the news of successful trade. It took a lot of discussion and a ton of convincing for Beane and his team to land Hooker. Asked about the Iowa connection, where Hyde also played collegiately, Hooker remarked that Hyde “was the standard” and someone to whom he said “I idol my game after him.”
Could it be that the Bills may have just found the right fit for the start of something special at safety? In noting the opportunity in front of him, Hooker said that “it’s tremendous and it’s exciting. I mean, to be in this position with a contender. It’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to be in this position.”
We’ll find out what’s in store for Amani Hooker on Sunday afternoon.
