In midst of Heisman moment, Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker sought a hug from mom
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Amid the onrushing jubilation and haze of cigar smoke, Tennessee football quarterback Hendon Hooker emerges. He’s in a hurry, too. He’s weaving through traffic, looking for daylight, focused on the end zone.
He’s searching for someone, and it doesn’t take long.
He knows where to go.
That’s exactly why Wendy Hooker, his mother, hadn’t climbed down from the front row of seats and onto the field alongside others like Alan, Hendon’s father.
"Hendon had to find me," she explained later, wiping away tears of joy.
Of all the embraces after this unforgettable, nearly indescribable, epic victory by Tennessee over Alabama at Neyland Stadium, theirs was the longest, I’d bet. When the quarterback reached mom, they hugged for at least a minute. It was a brief conversation just with each other, oblivious to things like falling goalposts or people doing snow angels in the nearby checkerboard paint.
"What an unbelievable scene," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said.
When the Tide finally fell
And what delightful cinema, this 52-49 victory. It was a movie-script production. All of it. The crazy twists and turns, the highs and lows, the wildly improbable finish, the field goal knuckling through goalposts like a leaky balloon and the ensuing chaos that hasn’t yet ceased.
For Tennessee fans, this isn’t a celebration as much as catharsis. Misery against Alabama? Sure. But heck, misery just in general, too. Wipe it all away. That’s how monumental this result was for Vol Nation. Because finally – without any question or doubt – they are back. And zeroing in on some serious prizes all of a sudden.
They have raced to the forefront of the college football world under Heupel. He was clear in repeating, "This journey is just beginning," but Saturday’s step was monumental. So much that it almost felt predestined all afternoon. Like this was just bound to happen. That you just knew that it was time, even when it looked like the Vols, after all, wouldn’t survive the high-wire act and win this ridiculous shootout.
But they did. So bring on the spoils.
They’ll rightfully call these back-from-the-dead Vols a legit contender for the SEC title and College Football Playoff. They’ll have a case for Tennessee to be ranked No. 1 in the nation.
And they’ll talk about Hooker as a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
And they should.
The man of the moment
On Saturday, Hooker couldn't have been much better in the bright lights. He threw for 385 yards and five touchdowns, all to Jalin Hyatt. He ran for 56 yards. He was resilient. He kept going and throwing and leading, ultimately winning a show-stopping duel with Bryce Young, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner who played his guts out for Alabama, nearly breaking Tennessee's hearts by himself.
Neither quarterback deserved to lose. But in the fourth quarter, it started to likely be Hooker. First, when a botched handoff gifted Alabama a defensive touchdown with 7:49 remaining and a 49-42 lead. And then, when the Crimson Tide picked off a fourth-down pass in the final minutes. Alabama fans cheered like it was a done deal.
Nope. Heupel immediately ran off the sideline and extended his arms, signaling pass interference while telling his offense to stay on the field. Next play: Hooker to Hyatt for a 13-yard touchdown. Tie game.
After Alabama’s Will Reichard missed a 50-yard field goal on the other end, Tennessee had 15 seconds from its own 32. Most coaches would kneel and take chances in overtime.
Heupel didn’t.
"It starts with your quarterback," Heupel said of his reasoning. "... You have to have trust in him."
Hooker aired it out twice – first for 18 yards to Ramel Keyton and then for 27 to Bru McCoy, leaving two seconds for Chase McGrath’s 40-yard winner.
"Just another day at the office," Hooker said afterward in his typically understated fashion that – in this instance – was going to convince no one.
But at the end of this wild Saturday that meant so much to so many, a lot of credit is due to the young man in the No. 5 jersey who ran and looked for his mother before enjoying what he – as much as anyone – has made possible.
Follow Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes on Twitter @Gentry_Estes.