Hendon Hooker is headed north.
The record-setting Tennessee Volunteers quarterback and 2022 Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year was selected Friday night in the early stages of the third round of the National Football League draft, going 68th overall to the Detroit Lions.
Hooker will be backing up Jared Goff, the top overall pick of the 2016 draft who guided the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LIII and led last season’s Lions to a rare winning season at 9-8.
“I want to be a sponge,” Hooker said Friday night on a conference call. “I want to come in and learn everything and every nuance in how to be a pro. That’s first and foremost, and then just to admire him. He’s been in the league for a long time and has been doing a great job of developing every year to get better, and that’s all you can ask for.
“I’m definitely going to be picking his brain.”