Mansfield: Hendon Hooker is a Tennessee football legend – simple as that

There have been many standout quarterbacks come through the Tennessee football program over the years.

Condredge Holloway. Heath Shuler. Peyton Manning. Erik Ainge. Josh Dobbs. That's a handful of some of the best to ever suit up for the Volunteers.

As of late, Hendon Hooker has been the dominant signal-caller and team leader for Tennessee. The way he performed – and guided – the Vols over the past two seasons has made him a legend in Knoxville, and a true VFL. It's as simple as that.

In just two seasons with the Vols, Hooker totaled 6,080 passing yards and 58 touchdowns – in addition to 1,050 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He led Tennessee to an 8-0 start to the 2022 campaign – which included snapping long losing streaks to Florida and Alabama – and a No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff Top 25.

While Hooker led the way for a Vols' offense that lit up the scoreboard week in and week out, he worked himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation – and was even mentioned as a serious candidate for the prestigious award. He played at a high level each and every week and did so while staying level-headed.

Hooker never got too high or too low. He just worked hard and was successful. He was always grateful for his opportunities. That's what separates him from many other players that get too full of themselves and don't respect their journeys. Hooker is as humble as they come.

After helping Josh Heupel build back the Tennessee program over the past two seasons, Hooker's work has officially been completed – but it's certainly not happening the way Hooker or the team wanted.

In Saturday's loss at South Carolina, Hooker suffered a non-contact injury midway through the fourth quarter. Just a day later, it was announced that the standout quarterback has a torn ACL in his left knee and is being forced to miss the remainder of the season.

Hooker's collegiate career is over. Just like that.

While it's a heartbreaking time for Hooker and Tennessee, it's also a time for everyone to rally around the quarterback and thank him for what he did for the program. After transferring from Virginia Tech, Hooker joined a Vols' locker room that was in shambles after the firing of former head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a number of players entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Hooker knew he wasn't getting into a great situation in Knoxville, but that didn't matter. He came in, went to work, ultimately earned the starting job and helped Heupel and the coaching staff lead Tennessee back to where it once was. Hooker will always be known for helping get the Vols back on track – and that means a lot to so many people.

It's a devastating end to a stellar Tennessee career for Hooker, but this is only the start of his journey. He has the tangibles needed to excel at the NFL level – and there isn't a single doubt that he won't continue to shine after recovering from the ACL tear.

Hendon Hooker is a legendary VFL. The Tennessee program and fan base owe him a ton for what he has done for them during his time on Rocky Top.

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