Heath Shuler reached out to Hendon Hooker in the days following Tennessee's win over Alabama.

The former Tennessee quarterback wanted to offer a word of encouragement to the Vols' current signal caller after Hooker tied Shuler's program record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

Hooker needed one more heading into Saturday's game against UT Martin and it took 15 minutes and an untimed down for him to get there. His 8-yard touchdown pass to Ramel Keyton at the end of the first quarter set a new record: 19-straight games with a touchdown pass.

Shuler was in attendance, too. And although the two were unable to speak immediately after Tennessee's 65-24 win, Hooker knew he already had Shuler's assurances.

"It's a blessing," Hooker said. "I haven't got the chance to talk to Heath Shuler (since breaking the record), but I was talking to (backup quarterback) Navy (Shuler), his son, yesterday and he was telling me, 'Hey, you've got to grab a picture with my dad when you beat the record.' Last week, talking to Heath, he was telling me, 'Hey, go out there and break that record.' It was an honor to get that encouragement from him and go out there and do it."

Shuler set the record in 18 games during a span that stretched from Oct. 17, 1992 to Jan. 1, 1994.

Hooker's run began on Sept. 11, 2021, when he entered the game against Pittsburgh for an injured Joe Milton and hit Jimmy Calloway for a 44-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.

With at least six games left in his senior season, Hooker has the opportunity to add to the record while in the running for a few more, but he left a mark on the Tennessee football program long before Saturday.

Since transferring from Virginia Tech, Hooker's efforts have been paramount in the Vols' resurgence. In Tennessee's 7-0 start, he's accounted for 1,817 passing yards and 15 touchdowns while helping his team score monumental wins over Florida, LSU and Alabama.

That resume has catapulted him from transfer portal pickup with potential to legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, but according to his teammates and coaches, as important as Hooker's abilities have been to the Vols' success, his persona has meant that much more.

“I saw Heath before the game and if I had known (Hooker) was breaking (the record) I would have given Heath a little bit of grief before the football game," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel quipped. "Hendon's consistency and growth, from the time that he's gotten here, and you guys have been able to see it, from the time that he's been able to be the starting quarterback, it's a great lesson for everyone to continue to invest. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

"He's playing at an elite level. I'm excited that he's playing that way. How he handles himself and the maturity that he has, that's important for our football team."

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