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Dan Campbell: We like that Hendon Hooker is older

Griffin Crest / NFL / May 9, 2023

Dan Campbell: We like that Hendon Hooker is older

After many question marks surrounding his age during the pre-draft process, Hendon Hooker has found a home where his age is a good thing. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has said that the Lions like that Hooker was an older prospect coming out of college.

“We did go into this offseason saying that we wanted to bring in some competition at quarterback,” Campbell said. “We knew he (Hooker) was coming off the injury, but there was something about him that was appealing. He’s very mature, he looks the part, he’s got a big arm. H’’s just got to learn to play in the NFL. He’s a pro, now, and I like the fact that he was older. We all kind liked the fact that he was older. I think you want your quarterback to be more mature.”

After transferring from Virginia Tech in 2020, Hooker played for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he broke out into a completely new player. In his two seasons with the Volunteers, Hooker threw for 58 touchdowns while only being intercepted five times. He would throw for a total of around 6,080 yards while completing 68.8 percent of his passes.

During his 2022 campaign, Hooker tore his ACL against South Carolina, ending his season. That injury wasn’t the only question around Hooker coming into the draft. Hooker’s age, 25, became a concern for NFL GMs, sensing the QB to take longer to develop. These concerns were quickly shot down as the Lions selected Hooker with the 68th overall pick in this year’s draft.