Hendon Hooker had on quite the t-shirt on Saturday afternoon.
After Tennessee’s 40-13 victory over LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge, the Tennessee quarterback met with the media for a postgame press conference. While Tennessee’s players normally wear traditional Tennessee gear, Hooker came out in a t-shirt honoring legendary Tennessee quarterback Condredge Holloway.
“Just wanted to pay homage to one of the greats,” Hooker said Monday. “His son is one of the equipment managers and I showed him and he was like ‘I know that guy.’ It was a cool little joke there. I just wanted to pay homage and I’ve got a Peyton (Manning) shirt. I want to throw that on coming up here soon.”
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is rocking a vintage Condredge Holloway t shirt. pic.twitter.com/9HNRVoEzK9
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) October 8, 2022
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Holloway, also known as The Artful Dodger (as shown on the t-shirt) is one of the most beloved Volunteers in the history of Tennessee Athletics.
The Huntsville, Alabama native bypassed entering the Major League Baseball Draft in 1971 at the direction of his mother. Instead, Holloway went on to become one of the most dynamic dual-sport athletes in Tennessee history.
Holloway joined the football team in 1972 and became the first African-American player to be a starting quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. The prolific athlete started at quarterback for three years for the Vols, leading Tennessee to a bowl game each year. Holloway finished his Tennessee career with an overall record of 25-9-2 to go along with 3,102 passing yards and 966 rushing yards.
In addition to the gridiron, though, Holloway was also a star for Tennessee’s baseball team as a shortstop. Holloway finished his time on the Tennessee diamond in 1975 as an All-SEC and All-America selection with a career batting average of .353.
Hendon Hooker, who paid tribute to Condredge Holloway with his t-shirt, has been tremendous while leading Tennessee to a 5-0 start this season.
In the win over LSU on Saturday, Hooker finished the game with 239 yards passing, 56 yards rushing, and two touchdowns through the air.
Social Media Reactions
Great homage to the @SEC 's first Black QB on a great day for @Vol_Football – thanks @henhook2 #vols https://t.co/AdZKBz3GYl
— Steven Burns (@StevenABurns) October 9, 2022
Hands down, the winner for the weekend! Maybe the season.
— Warren Butler (@TheRealFWB) October 8, 2022
A lot of love for @henhook2 this young man is a leader and outstanding football player! Go Big Orange!
— D. Bolt (@deljrfishing) October 8, 2022
