NEW YORK — On Saturday night, Hendon Hooker won the highest Heisman Trophy placement in voting for a Volunteer in 25 years with fifth place, according to UT Athletics.
He rewrote the Tennessee record books, changed the trajectory of the program and was the catalyst for a memorable Third Saturday of October 2022, UT Athletics said.
Hooker, who earned 17 first-place votes, recorded 226 points in the final vote. He also was the recipient of the Nissan fan vote, UT Athletics said.
Hooker is Tennessee's highest finisher since Peyton Manning took runner-up honors in 1997. Hooker is the sixth player in Vol history to secure a top-five finish. According to UT Athletics, the others include: George Cafego (4th), Hank Lauricella (2nd), Johnny Majors (2nd), Heath Shuler (2nd) and Manning.
Hooker, a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, was the captain of the nation's No. 1 offense in leading the Vols to their first 10-win regular season since 2003, said UT Athletics. He accounted for 3,565 yards of total offense and 32 touchdowns this season. He was the only player in the nation with 25 or more touchdown passes and two or fewer interceptions, UT Athletics said.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year, as selected by the league's coaches and Associated Press, Hooker led the conference in total offense (324.1), passing efficiency (175.51), completion percentage (69.6), points responsible for per game (17.6) and yards per pass attempt (9.53). He led the nation in yards per attempt and was second nationally in passing efficiency, according to UT Athletics.
