Hendon Hooker shares how he's grown as a leader
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker‘s growth as a player is undeniable, showing astronomical improvement from when he played at Virginia Tech prior to transferring to Tennessee, to now as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. But what may go unnoticed is his growth as a leader, as coaches and teammates have been raving all season about his improved leadership on and off the field. Hooker was asked about his evolution as a leader, as he detailed his journey through improving in that area.
“I’ve grown just from learning, learning experiences and being put in different situations,” Hooker said. “Knowing how to build relationships and knowing how to talk to different individuals in a way that will help them or motivate them to get what we need done. And help them throughout their job as they help me with my job, it’s a two-way road from being a leader and communicating at a high level.”
Hooker’s leadership has surely worked for the Volunteers this season, as he led them to their eighth straight win Saturday against Kentucky behind his 245 yards and four total touchdowns. Their 8-0 start is their best since 1998, and their new No. 2 ranking in the latest AP Poll is their highest since 2001.
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“You have to understand where people are coming from and different situations. So just having an understanding of my teammates and the family here at Tennessee has helped me elevate my leadership process,” Hooker said.
From the outside looking in, leadership can be hard to measure. But with Hooker leading the Vols on a historic run and players around him like Jalin Hyatt, Bru McCoy, and Jaylen Wright all having the best seasons of their careers, it’s surely hard to deny that his impact on this year’s Tennessee team.
Hendon Hooker praises teammates for not seeking spotlight
Tennessee is truly having a historic start to the season, as their latest 44-6 win against Kentucky extends their record to a perfect 8-0 for the first time since 1998. The Vols also now share a No. 2 ranking in the AP Poll with Ohio State, their highest since the 2001 season. Their newfound success comes with newfound national attention, which quarterback Hendon Hooker believes has not impacted their team one bit so far this season.
“I don’t think there’s anyone really trying to be in the spotlight so to speak,” Hooker said. “We have a lot of humble guys on our team and a lot of selfless guys, and that’s what has elevated our game from last year to this year.”
The Volunteers have definitely elevated their game from last year and the year before since the hiring of head coach Josh Heupel, who orchestrated one of the fastest program turnarounds to date. Tennessee was 3-7 prior to Heupel’s arrival, which he followed with a 7-6 debut season last year, and now has the Volunteers undefeated and poised for not just SEC Championship contention, but College Football Playoff contention as well.
Hooker has been a major factor in the success of the Volunteers as well, and not many have obtained the spotlight quite like him. He’s transformed from an average ACC quarterback at Virginia Tech to one of college football’s most efficient passers that leads the nation’s top offense and is the currently frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.
“Just knowing that what we want to do every day is come in and do our job, make sure that everyone is doing their job so that we can get to our final goal,” Hooker said.
The humility of the Vols may be a factor in their success this season, and hopefully for them, it can continue to work as they face No. 1 Georgia in their next game in a matchup many care calling the biggest of this college football season.