Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker returned to his old stomping ground of Knoxville, TN, on Saturday night. Hooker took the court during a second-half timeout of the Vols’ basketball game against LSU and received a monstrous applause from the home crowd fans. Hooker’s appearance on the court was also accompanied by a highlight package of him in the Vols’ Dark Mode uniform.
VFL Hendon Hooker is back on Rocky Top and gets a roaring applause from the crowd at the Food City Center ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Uk1QtluhFx
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) February 15, 2026
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Hooker spent two years as Tennessee’s starting quarterback from 2021 to 2022. His dynamic play at the position helped Tennessee burst out of the gates in the Josh Heupel era, leading the Vols to SEC victories over Alabama, Florida, and LSU. In his two years on Rocky Top, Hooker threw for 6,080 yards and 58 touchdowns. He also ran the ball for 850 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Despite tearing his ACL near the end of his final season at UT in 2022, Hooker was still drafted in the third round by the Detroit Lions. He spent two seasons with Detroit before signing with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad ahead of the 2025 season. Hooker finished the year with the New York Jets, being promoted to the active roster before the team’s regular-season finale against the Bills in early January.
Tennessee Basketball picked up its 18th win of the season with a 73-63 victory over LSU on Saturday night in Knoxville. Vols freshman wing Nate Ament led the way with 22 points on the night, while forward JP Estrella added in 16 points on his own. Both players came just short of a double-double on the night with nine rebounds each.
