DETROIT (WGHP) — A summer of hard work appears to have paid off for former Dudley High School star Hendon Hooker.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday morning that the Detroit Lions are releasing Nate Sudfeld — who is currently listed as the backup quarterback on the Lions’ depth chart.
Sudfeld’s release clears the way for Hooker — who is currently listed as the Lions’ third-string quarterback — to officially take over as the backup for star quarterback Jared Goff.
Hooker appeared in all three preseason games for Detroit and threw for 300 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 60% of his passes.
Detroit selected Hooker with the 67th pick in the Third Round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Born in Greensboro, Hooker starred at Dudley High School for three seasons from 2014-2017, winning two state titles as well countless individual awards. He spent the first three seasons of his college career at Virginia Tech University before transferring to the University of Tennessee in 2021.
Hooker started a majority of games for Virginia Tech in his final two seasons in Blacksburg, posting good numbers before transferring to the University of Tennesee in 2021 where he blossomed into one of college football’s biggest superstars.
In his first year in Knoxville with the Volunteers, Hooker threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions for the season. Hooker also rushed for 616 yards and five touchdowns as he led Tennesse to a surprising 7-6 record with their dominant offense.
His second and final season in Tennessee was more of the same as he threw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. Hooker also ran for 430 yards and five touchdowns as he led Tennessee to a 9-2 record and an upset victory over #3 Alabama which led to the Volunteers briefly being ranked as the #1 team in the nation.
Tennessee had hopes of earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, but their hopes were dashed in a disappointing loss to South Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022, that saw Hooker tear his ACL in the fourth quarter of a game that was already out of hand.
Despite the devastating knee injury, Hooker was still named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Many experts also believe that Hooker should have been a Heisman finalist despite his injury and that he assuredly would have been had he not been injured.
During his rookie season in Detroit, Hooker took it all in from the sidelines as the Lions made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game for the first since 1992.
He spent the year as Detroit’s QB3 behind Goff and veteran starting QB Teddy Bridgewater.
A part of the reason Hooker found himself behind on the depth chart was the devastating knee injury. He was not activated to the Lions active roster until Dec. 19, 2023, as a result of his rehab and recovery.
Bridgewater announced his intent to retire after the conclusion of the 2023-24 NFL Season, leaving Hooker as the heir-apparent backup quarterback.
Despite Bridgewater’s departure from the NFL, his mentorship of Hooker continued as the second-year quarterback moved in with Bridgewater in Miami, according to MLive.com.
Bridgewater, a former first-round pick and starting QB for the Carolina Panthers, is starting his second career as head coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, according to SBLive’s Andy Villamarzo.
“I’ve got my own place, but I will go down there and stay with Teddy this time, really hang out with Teddy and his family,” Hooker told MLive. “He’s really kind of brought me into his circle, and it’s a blessing. I’ll be down there a lot. I’m eager to go down there and hang out with him.”
Hooker says that Bridgewater already served as a mentor for him during his rookie season and that he learned “how to be a pro” from him.
Bridgewater was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and appeared to be their next franchise quarterback after making the Pro Bowl and leading the team to the playoffs in 2015.
However, his career was forever altered by a non-contact leg injury he suffered during a team practice in 2016. Bridgewater missed most of the next two seasons while recovering only appearing in one game.
Bridgewater was able to resurrect his career as Drew Brees’ backup with the New Orleans Saints, going 5-0 in five starts during the 2019 NFL Season.
That performance earned him a 3-year, $63-million contract with the Panthers that offseason.
Bridgewater started in 15 games for the Panthers in 2020 and threw for a career-high 3,733 yards and completed a career-high 69.1% of his passes.
Carolina traded Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in 2021 after acquiring Sam Darnold from the New York Jets.
That season in Denver was his last year as a full-time starter. He completed 66.9% of his passes and threw a career-high 18 touchdown passes to only 7 interceptions.
Bridgewater would spend his last two NFL seasons as a backup with his hometown Miami Dolphins in 2022 and with the Detroit Lions in 2023.
