Heartbreaking: A very loyal Volunteers Tennessee player has announced his sudden retirement, sending a powerful statement and bidding the team and supporters a heartfelt farewell.
Heartbreaking: A very loyal Volunteers Tennessee player has announced his sudden retirement, sending a powerful statement and bidding the team and supporters a heartfelt farewell.
As he recovers from his surgically repaired knee this winter, Hooker, who suffered an ACL tear in the penultimate regular season game, hopes to have an impact in the NFL next year.
Here’s what Hooker said on Monday night in a social media post.
“I appreciate all of your incredible help and devotion. I can’t even begin to count how many of you have reached out to me personally in the month after my injury. To me, that means everything. You encouraged me, whether it was via handwritten letters or social media.”
“I would like to express my gratitude to Coaches Heupel, Halle, Golesh, Militello, and Peery for their invaluable assistance in shaping me into the player I am today. You ingrained trust and faith in me, and I never intended to disappoint you.”
“Thanks to my family—my mom, my pops, my sister and my brother-your love and unwavering faith in me have been a guiding light.”
“Lastly and certainly not least, thank you to my teammates.”
“We grieved, we rejoiced, we grinded, and we brought this initiative back to the forefront. The fraternity in the locker room has a certain quality.
“Thank you God, for the blessings you bestow on me every day, giving me the chance to play the game that I love.”
“Tennesseans adopted a quarterback who was a graduate transfer and wanted to establish himself two years ago. The legacy we leave behind makes me proud. My aspiration is that we encouraged others who would walk in our footsteps and made the people who came before us proud.”
“As many of my teammates and I begin the next chapter in the NFL, just know this: we’ll always be volunteers.”
When Hooker got to Knoxville at the beginning of 2021, most people had forgotten about him. He departs Tennessee after two seasons as one of the greatest players to ever don the orange and white.
Hendon Hooker is a major reason why UT football is in a better spot now than it was two years ago.
