Hendon Hooker expects Joe Milton to win the Heisman and a national championship
It isn’t enough to say Hendon Hooker has high expectations for Joe Milton III as Tennessee’s starting quarterback this season. Hooker has expectations that are out of this world for his former teammate.
“I’m expecting a national championship,” Hooker said during an interview with The Spun last week, “I’m expecting a Heisman Trophy, I’m expecting the real deal.”
No, Hooker wasn’t done there. He had more to say about Milton and his talent.
”He’s the best quarterback in the nation, there’s no question about it,” Hooker said. “If there are questions about that, we need to go back and watch the film. He’s the best quarterback in the nation and he’s going to do some great things.
“I’ve learned a lot from Joe. I talk to him all the time so when he goes through this process he can dominate.”
Joe Milton passed for 971 yards, 10 TDs as Tennessee’s backup QB last season
Hooker, who took over as Tennessee’s quarterback in September 2021 after Milton suffered an ankle injury in a home loss against Pitt, passed for 6,080 yards and threw 58 touchdowns, with just five interceptions over the last two years with the Vols.
Last season he had 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 69.6 percent of his passes, in 11 games before suffering a torn ACL in November.
Last season Milton passed for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns, completing 65 percent of his passes over nine games. His playing time was mostly limited to mop-up duty behind Hooker, before the season-ending injury.
Milton started in Tennessee’s 56-0 win in the regular-season finale at Vanderbilt a week after Hooker’s season-ending injury, throwing for 147 yards and a touchdown while the Vols rushed for 362 yards and six touchdowns as a team.
Hooker was undergoing rehab for the ACL tear in December but still making time for marathon video calls with Milton to go over the game plan against Clemson in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in December.
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Milton led Tennessee to a 31-14 win over the Tigers and was named the Orange Bowl. MVP after throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
Hendon Hooker has his own sky-high expectations for his NFL career
Milton had his own rave reviews of Hooker and what the Detroit Lions are getting after drafting Hooker at No. 68 overall in last month’s NFL Draft, selecting him in the third round.
“A dog,” Milton said last week during an appearance on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ in New York. “A guy that wants to work. He’s always willing to learn, he’s always going to help whoever. And just a leader, man. He talks at any time. He’s going to let you know what it is and what it ain’t. That’s just him.”
Hooker signed his rookie contract with the Lions on May 12. Spotrac values Hooker’s contract at $5.719 million, including $1.159 million as a signing bonus.
And, for the record, he has expectations for himself that are just as high, if not higher, than what he’s expecting from Milton. During the interview with The Spun, he was asked where he seems himself in 10 years.
“Two Super Bowl appearances, at least one Super Bowl,” Hooker said, “a Super Bowl MVP and on the road to a legendary dynasty.”
