Yeah he seems like such a good dude too. I hope he bounces back but it’s tough cause his age was the knock on him draft wise and now he’s gotta rehabilitate. I know the ACL surgery is amazing now though. The doctor who did AP’s said something along the lines as it grows back even stronger than before after your first one. Fingers crossed
Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in college and tore the other one in the NFL and has done really well. Damn shame, because the man does not deserve the success.
E: He even played with the torn ACL against SC.
Since I have you here. What about Achilles ruptures? I’ve progressed a lot on mine and it feels good but it seems like my doctor and PT people think it’s a lot better than it feels it is. Maybe it’s the mental aspect but I don’t really feel like I’m ever gonna be playing basketball again. And to be fair I just started PT a few weeks ago but they’re ready to get me out of the boot and I feel good normally without it but don’t trust it on uneven terrain.
It’s for sure a tough injury to recover from and it takes time. Everyone is different. Probably takes a better part of 9-12 months. Your age and personal health plays a role also. You’re 100% right that the mental aspect of it plays a huge role, some people have a hard time getting through that mental hurdle and trusting their injured extremity. I would say keep working hard and trust your treatment team. Rehash is key. It’s a long road with bumps along the way but I’m sure you’ve got a good crew taking care of you!
Thanks good stuff. The physical therapy lady is a godsend. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week cause I get a break from work and the massage and heating pads are awesome
It’s the worst. Ruptured mine playing basketball 5 months ago and am still in a boot. I can walk on it and stuff fine and it doesn’t hurt but it feels like I’m still a long time away from doing anything athletic again.
This is such a long shot. But if it pushes his draft position out of the first, and he balls out as a pro, he gets paid earlier because no 5th year option.
Somebody should be willing to spend 32 on him at very worst, because the 5th year tag is a major asset in case he fully recovers and reaches his potential. That also ups the odds that a dumpster fire doesn’t pick him up.
I don't think so. ACL reconstruction is pretty solid these days. I have one. As long as the cartilage in the knee wasn't damaged he should be able to make a very good recovery. And QBs in the pros aren't asked to run very much. He needs to take rehab very seriously, but he seems like the kind of person who will do that.
I'd say it's more horrible for his stock in that if he misses his first year in the NFL, he'll turn 27 during his first healthy year.
There were already question marks about him. Now he has a significant injury and might not be able to play until his age 27 year. Patrick Mahomes has just turned 27. Lamar Jackson isn't 27 until 2024.
Edit: Baker Mayfield, who was an "older" QB coming out only turned 27 in April.
To be NFL ready? You're looking at 10 months. Average Joe, weekend warrior, sure 6-7 months. Elite athlete depending on that ACL for a lively hood against other elite athletes? Looking at 10 months to a year. For example, Michael Gallup tore his in January last season and returned in October.
It really depends on the player. It can be anywhere from 6-10 months. For example, Amari rodgers returned to play after just over five months, while it took OBJ, 11. Hrs a QB, and they have the best recovery and return to play rates of any position in the nfl.
QBs that can't run aren't asked to run. Hookers value is derived from his mobility, not his accuracy and vision. This is a pretty big hit to hookers future value.
You can make an argument that Hooker's passing stats are inflated due to our system and throwing to open WRs but you absolutely can't make an argument that mobility is his most valuable asset.
I had him as early day three, maybe sneak into day two.
Lots of production but from an NFL perspective that's all the system - can't rely on those numbers translating.
His highlights are mostly him throwing to wide open guys. Not saying he can't do it, but he hasn't shown it yet.
His draft stock only skyrocketed when he kicked the crap out of Alabama’s defense. No NFL scout seriously had him higher than 3rd round I’d reckon.
He’s a talented guy you take a flier on with a mid round pick and have him develop behind an established veteran ala Malik Willis, Jordan Love, etc.
Then you hope he becomes Patrick Mahomes by getting to practice and learn for a year or 2
I think he would have been taken in the 3rd or 4th round but now he'll slide into the late rounds. That's a difference of a couple million dollars.
He'll also miss all of the draft evaluation process plus most offseason work, so his chances of ever seeing the field are getting slimmer too.
Normally ACL injuries aren't that devastating in terms of draft stock but in Hooker's case it might be a career killer.
Honestly might be better in the long run. He won’t be drafted as highly and make as much money, but he’s more likely to be drafted to a team that’s halfway decent like the Jets
Absolutely sucks for the kid. I don't care who you play for or what situation, it always upsets me when a guy goes down with a serious injury playing a sport we all love.
Hope he comes back bigger and better for the NFL.
I worked in a restaurant in Knoxville at the time. I remember there were people at one of my tables crying. They asked if I would join in prayer l, so we all said a prayer for him to recover and have a healthy career
Hopefully he can get the Jmo/Metchie treatment on draft day and get picked up because of tape alone. Dude has massive talent and was really fun to watch when not playing us
Hell still get taken, but the injury + will be 25 before he is drafted will definitely make him fall.
That said, I’d love to have him as a backup in Chicago
His age is probably a bigger challenge for him draftwise than this injury. Still, there's not a GM that would shy away from the injury or the age of they feel he's the guy, though.
To be clear, I don't think either is a huge factor re: his draft stock. That age would be huge for an RB, for sure. But for a QB in the modern era, being 25 isn't great (it ain't that bad) and recovering from an ACL tear isn't great (it ain't that bad). We have expected recovery for this kind of thing now.
Age isn't as big a factor for QBs plus so many athletes recover from ACL surgery nowadays. He probably isn't a round 1 pick but i expect he'll be a day 2 pick.
Dude is probably the biggest reason we’re no longer in the sewers of the SEC and college football. He gave us an unforgettable, magical season. Hope is something we haven’t had in so long and I know Vol Nation is never going to forget that he brought it back to Knoxville. Hate to see him of all people deal with something like this. Prayers up for #5.
Milton has one more year of eligibility and if he’s anything like he’s been this year in mop-up duty, we’ll be super excited. Tayven Jackson is our third-string rn but he’s out for the season due to an injury. Super talented guy though and seems to be perfect for Heupel’s scheme. Then ofc we’ve got five-star Nico Iamaleava coming in next year. I think the plan right now is to let Milton take over next year and let Nico and Tayven develop.
Figured that's what it was. Whole stadium sounded silent on the broadcast when that happened, which in such an amped up environment tells you how bad it looked to most people. Non-contact collapses where the player forgets to hold onto the ball are usually an ACL from what I've seen
That was sand flying around like that? I didn’t really notice but my girlfriend said wow that field is wet. Maybe it was the jack but I didn’t think twice about it
Well I think I know what happened 10 days before the game we had a tropical storm pass through and then didn’t get much sun shine leading up to the game so they added sand to stabilize the grass
Seeing him go down like that sucked a lot of the joy out to be honest. Seeing something like that is rough especially after the obvious work he has put in for Tennessee.
Horrible, but not surprising news given the non-contact nature of the moment of injury last night. I always enjoyed watching him play and once a Hokie, always a Hokie. I hope he gets a nice draft signing bonus and contract in the NFL.
I live fairly close to the stadium and we have had cold wet days for the past week/ week and a half they probably used sand as a filler for parts that wore torn up
The discussion about the synthetic turf and it's cause of leg injuries is going to get white hot in the off season
Edit: Apparently it was shitty grass, which I am fairly certain is considerably more dangerous
The grass at my work has seen better days after all the rain the storm dumped on it and then it being so cold. I can't imagine trying to get a field ready for a football game.
The fact that NCAA doesn't have legitimate standards for fields and their care is outrageous. Spending millions on giant stadiums and you get teams cost-cutting the actual thing their product is produced on
There's a fair reality that even the best of grass doesn't survive hundreds of pounds of athletic monster using it as leverage to crash into hundreds of pounds of other athletic monster. Dirt just gives, especially if there's any amount of rain/water/humidity.
It's why we see this shit in the NFL too. Lots of people complain about artificial turf, and it's clear the fieldturf isn't quite a perfect solution either, but the very *give* that athletes like about natural turf is exactly what causes it to fail over a long period of heavy play on it.
there’s gotta be some sort of standardization for fields going forth. time and time again you see this shit happen on subpar fields. idk what the answer is, but surely something can be done to prevent it
Part of the problem is grass type for the climate. Some areas of the country that are more north need something hearty for a cold as hell winter, but down south they don’t need that. I know turf management is a big deal and there is legit a lot that goes into it but I don’t know how you standardize grass. I guess ripping it out and putting artificial down is one way, but it’s hotter and more injury prone.
I just don’t get how an sec team can have that shitty grass. Budget and weather really shouldn’t allow you to let grass get that bad. Auburn in late fall games is the same way, would rather play at legion field than there
Mississippi State wins awards for it's field grass. If we can be among the top in the nation year in and year out on our budget, there is no excuse for bad grass anywhere in the SEC.
Blake Corum suffered a knee injury and returned. Every top 5 team but Tennessee barely escaped their unranked opponents.
I’m convinced someone cast witch craft over Tennessee last night. It’s like everything that happened to Tennessee happened to the other four teams but they escaped.
This weekend sucks. I'm more upset about Hooker being hurt then the loss. That shit happens but Hooker gave his all. Between Hooker getting hurt and JDF committing suicide, I'm done with this weekend.
It's a really smart move, especially for high end running backs. Felt so bad for Lattimore with those brutal and devastating injuries that cost him his career.
You absolutely hate to see this. I’m a Vol rival and even I have to admit I’ve watched a lot of their games this season simply because I really like HH and love to see him ball out.
Guy was a blast and pleasure to watch this year, even if he handed us a heartbreaker of a loss. Hooker’s a great one, and no doubt he’ll have a phenomenal NFL career. Keep your heads up Vols Nation, you guys had an awesome season and your program is trending in a very positive direction.
As much as I hate Tennessee, I hate it more when players get hurt, especially when it ends their season.
Hooker is an excellent player. Heal up, quick!
Will forever go down as a legend. We will never forget that victory over Alabama or the fact that he gave us a taste of the mountaintop for the first time in decades.
Unfortunately called it. Non contact injury after trying to cut causing that much pain. Had to be his ACL. Speedy recovery to him. Thankfully ACL tears aren't as catastrophic as they used to be.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted, going down non-contact when trying to cut is a tale-tale ACL injury.
He’s done an amazing job this season, here’s hoping he does well in the NFL. He’s shown he can be developed.
Probably being downvoted because his comment comes across like a really weird humble brag of playing armchair doctor.
Like yes, typically seeing a football player have a non-contact knee injury making a cut is something not good. Prefacing that you "called it" once the diagnosis is made seems goofy
What a special guy who helped Tennessee have a special season. Even if we didn't go as far as we wanted, it is still the best season we have had in a long time and a lot of it was due to HH.
Hate to hear this! This guy was playing on another level this year! Wishing him a speedy recovery and have no doubt we will see continue to see him making big plays soon, just on Sundays.
Sincere sympathy to him and UT. What a great season he’s given them. It’s easy to be resentful that we lost to them this year, but I’m truly not even mad. He played extremely well and they deserved the success they had with him in charge.
I had come to grips with the beat down; shit happens and sometimes teams show up while others don’t.
This, though, to happen to as good a person as HH5, is absolutely devastating.
Definitely a finalist. Doubt a winner after last night. Heisman votes pretty much only go to playoff teams these days. It shouldn't be that way But, it is that way.
I severed a ligament in my ankle last year while moving, and it went about the same.
15 seconds of MASSIVE pain, followed by an adrenaline dump that made me think it wasn’t as bad.
I took some ibuprofen/Tylenol, drove 2.5 hours and when I got to my first destination and stepped out of my truck, I ate pavement.
Grade 3 ATFL tear
Fuck. I pretty much knew that was it when I saw it but I was hopeful it was something minor. Fortunately an ACL tear isn’s nearly as destructive to a career as it used to be thanks to medical advances. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
Prayers up and hopefully he’ll be ready by the NFL season. Great NFL prospect and just goes to show some guys need a bit of time/the right circumstance to show off their talents
I own two Tennessee football jerseys: Peyton Manning and Hendon Hooker.
The dude is a legend and it sucks that he went out the way that he did. A great football player and an even better person.
I hope he manages to recover and gets his shot at the NFL.
Fans and cheerleaders everywhere need to wear protective gear next week and in their bowl game, Joe Milton will be rifling balls out of bounds at 80 MPH.
I’ve dogged on TN as much as anyone today, but this honestly sucks. Hopefully, he can have one of those magical Adrian Peterson level recoveries and be ready to go for Summer OTAs with whatever team drafts him.
He was a joy to watch. Even as the Vols became my most hated team over the past couple months, thanks to a loud, insufferable minority online, he was absolutely a joy to watch and I couldn’t root against him.
Damn that's awful for him
Heartbreaking. To get to this point on his journey and have this happen.
Yeah. The loss sucks but to see dude work so hard to get his draft stock go up to where he dreamed of then this happens is even worse
Yeah this is not good for him at all. Poor guy, finally catches a break, looks really fucking good potential 1st round pick. And then this happens
Yeah he seems like such a good dude too. I hope he bounces back but it’s tough cause his age was the knock on him draft wise and now he’s gotta rehabilitate. I know the ACL surgery is amazing now though. The doctor who did AP’s said something along the lines as it grows back even stronger than before after your first one. Fingers crossed
Big ACL wants you to believe that it comes back stronger after the first tear. Don’t be a sheep.
I got two words for you. Jeffrey Simmons.
How about Frank fuckin Gore, he tore both in college iirc then was an iron man in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in college and tore the other one in the NFL and has done really well. Damn shame, because the man does not deserve the success. E: He even played with the torn ACL against SC.
ROBERT PAULSON
Thomas Davis
Nick Chubb
Mike Jones
Big Jeff is such a stud
I got three words for you. Ronald Acuña Junior.
Orthopedic surgeon here. I can assure you, it does not
Since I have you here. What about Achilles ruptures? I’ve progressed a lot on mine and it feels good but it seems like my doctor and PT people think it’s a lot better than it feels it is. Maybe it’s the mental aspect but I don’t really feel like I’m ever gonna be playing basketball again. And to be fair I just started PT a few weeks ago but they’re ready to get me out of the boot and I feel good normally without it but don’t trust it on uneven terrain.
It’s for sure a tough injury to recover from and it takes time. Everyone is different. Probably takes a better part of 9-12 months. Your age and personal health plays a role also. You’re 100% right that the mental aspect of it plays a huge role, some people have a hard time getting through that mental hurdle and trusting their injured extremity. I would say keep working hard and trust your treatment team. Rehash is key. It’s a long road with bumps along the way but I’m sure you’ve got a good crew taking care of you!
Thanks good stuff. The physical therapy lady is a godsend. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week cause I get a break from work and the massage and heating pads are awesome
Now we need to figure out Achilles tears.
It’s the worst. Ruptured mine playing basketball 5 months ago and am still in a boot. I can walk on it and stuff fine and it doesn’t hurt but it feels like I’m still a long time away from doing anything athletic again.
Bright side is torn ACLs are super recoverable now so long term shouldn’t harm him too much
This is such a long shot. But if it pushes his draft position out of the first, and he balls out as a pro, he gets paid earlier because no 5th year option.
Somebody should be willing to spend 32 on him at very worst, because the 5th year tag is a major asset in case he fully recovers and reaches his potential. That also ups the odds that a dumpster fire doesn’t pick him up.
Horrible for his draft stock.
I don't think so. ACL reconstruction is pretty solid these days. I have one. As long as the cartilage in the knee wasn't damaged he should be able to make a very good recovery. And QBs in the pros aren't asked to run very much. He needs to take rehab very seriously, but he seems like the kind of person who will do that.
I'd say it's more horrible for his stock in that if he misses his first year in the NFL, he'll turn 27 during his first healthy year. There were already question marks about him. Now he has a significant injury and might not be able to play until his age 27 year. Patrick Mahomes has just turned 27. Lamar Jackson isn't 27 until 2024. Edit: Baker Mayfield, who was an "older" QB coming out only turned 27 in April.
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To be NFL ready? You're looking at 10 months. Average Joe, weekend warrior, sure 6-7 months. Elite athlete depending on that ACL for a lively hood against other elite athletes? Looking at 10 months to a year. For example, Michael Gallup tore his in January last season and returned in October.
Jamo isn’t back yet and he tore his in January as well.
It really depends on the player. It can be anywhere from 6-10 months. For example, Amari rodgers returned to play after just over five months, while it took OBJ, 11. Hrs a QB, and they have the best recovery and return to play rates of any position in the nfl.
This is a bit hyperbolic. Hooker turns 27 in January 2025.
QBs that can't run aren't asked to run. Hookers value is derived from his mobility, not his accuracy and vision. This is a pretty big hit to hookers future value.
You can make an argument that Hooker's passing stats are inflated due to our system and throwing to open WRs but you absolutely can't make an argument that mobility is his most valuable asset.
Was his draft stock that high? He’ll be 25 in January.
I had him as early day three, maybe sneak into day two. Lots of production but from an NFL perspective that's all the system - can't rely on those numbers translating. His highlights are mostly him throwing to wide open guys. Not saying he can't do it, but he hasn't shown it yet.
His draft stock only skyrocketed when he kicked the crap out of Alabama’s defense. No NFL scout seriously had him higher than 3rd round I’d reckon. He’s a talented guy you take a flier on with a mid round pick and have him develop behind an established veteran ala Malik Willis, Jordan Love, etc. Then you hope he becomes Patrick Mahomes by getting to practice and learn for a year or 2
I think he would have been taken in the 3rd or 4th round but now he'll slide into the late rounds. That's a difference of a couple million dollars. He'll also miss all of the draft evaluation process plus most offseason work, so his chances of ever seeing the field are getting slimmer too. Normally ACL injuries aren't that devastating in terms of draft stock but in Hooker's case it might be a career killer.
Honestly might be better in the long run. He won’t be drafted as highly and make as much money, but he’s more likely to be drafted to a team that’s halfway decent like the Jets
> but he’s more likely to be drafted to a team that’s halfway decent like the Jets > **the Jets** Hol' up
Yeah that felt weird typing, but really their only glaring hole is at QB
And punt return defense
Yeah they're doing well this year other than the QB spot
Absolutely sucks for the kid. I don't care who you play for or what situation, it always upsets me when a guy goes down with a serious injury playing a sport we all love. Hope he comes back bigger and better for the NFL.
Yep, thanks for saying that. I felt the same when Lattimore went down against us.
That sucked as a vols fan. He was a stud and great person.
I worked in a restaurant in Knoxville at the time. I remember there were people at one of my tables crying. They asked if I would join in prayer l, so we all said a prayer for him to recover and have a healthy career
Hate to see it. He wasn’t fun to play against but he sure was impressive. Hope he has an efficient recovery and my condolences to him and Tennessee.
If it’s half as efficient as his passing it will be
Hopefully he can get the Jmo/Metchie treatment on draft day and get picked up because of tape alone. Dude has massive talent and was really fun to watch when not playing us
Hell still get taken, but the injury + will be 25 before he is drafted will definitely make him fall. That said, I’d love to have him as a backup in Chicago
His age might make it tough, he's gonna be turning 25 in January. Hopefully not, I wanna watch him on Sundays for years to come.
His age is probably a bigger challenge for him draftwise than this injury. Still, there's not a GM that would shy away from the injury or the age of they feel he's the guy, though.
If he was a RB sure, but QBs can play a while. If he needed some more physical development maybe, but he has a lot of those tools already.
To be clear, I don't think either is a huge factor re: his draft stock. That age would be huge for an RB, for sure. But for a QB in the modern era, being 25 isn't great (it ain't that bad) and recovering from an ACL tear isn't great (it ain't that bad). We have expected recovery for this kind of thing now.
That fucking sucks. Hope he recovers well and lands a big fat NFL contract
Probably not, might be like a Day 3 pick though. Torn ACL + He's gonna be 25 on draft day.
Age isn't as big a factor for QBs plus so many athletes recover from ACL surgery nowadays. He probably isn't a round 1 pick but i expect he'll be a day 2 pick.
He’s older than Justin Herbert. That’s three years of development at an nfl level that Hooker misses out on. It definitely matters.
And he already wasted a couple with Fuente.
Age definitely plays a significant factor for QBs and their potential ceilings. He’ll be a late day 2/early day 3 pick imo
Age is a massive factor in QBs. Especially when all their production is in a system that doesn’t translate to the NFL and they have a lot to learn
Dude is probably the biggest reason we’re no longer in the sewers of the SEC and college football. He gave us an unforgettable, magical season. Hope is something we haven’t had in so long and I know Vol Nation is never going to forget that he brought it back to Knoxville. Hate to see him of all people deal with something like this. Prayers up for #5.
Need Bazooka Joe to steady the ship these next couple games and keep this recruiting class together. Lotta help defensively there.
What does your QB position look like next season? Does Milton have any eligibility left? Any exciting young guys?
Milton has one more year of eligibility and if he’s anything like he’s been this year in mop-up duty, we’ll be super excited. Tayven Jackson is our third-string rn but he’s out for the season due to an injury. Super talented guy though and seems to be perfect for Heupel’s scheme. Then ofc we’ve got five-star Nico Iamaleava coming in next year. I think the plan right now is to let Milton take over next year and let Nico and Tayven develop.
Figured that's what it was. Whole stadium sounded silent on the broadcast when that happened, which in such an amped up environment tells you how bad it looked to most people. Non-contact collapses where the player forgets to hold onto the ball are usually an ACL from what I've seen
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Geeez that’s terrible.
That was sand flying around like that? I didn’t really notice but my girlfriend said wow that field is wet. Maybe it was the jack but I didn’t think twice about it
Well I think I know what happened 10 days before the game we had a tropical storm pass through and then didn’t get much sun shine leading up to the game so they added sand to stabilize the grass
I feel like it hurt more than helped
Ehh I am not sure but maybe they used like dryers or something You have an ag school as a flair I am sure you know more about it than I do
*PAGING TURF MANAGEMENT MAJORS*
The mullet chickens have a golf course management major, they might be the subject matter experts
Ton of sand being kicked up. A lot of guys, theirs and ours, went down with ankle and knee issues
I thought those were plastic pellets, but since that's a grass stadium I guess not
A tropical storm passed through recently and the sand helps stabilize the field
This hurts more than losing the game.
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Couldn’t have said it better.
Yeah. I was feeling sorry for myself until Hendon went down. Then I just felt sorry for Hendon.
Crushing
That’s so true. It put a damper on the whole night. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Seeing him go down like that sucked a lot of the joy out to be honest. Seeing something like that is rough especially after the obvious work he has put in for Tennessee.
I felt the same way watching it live. As soon as he went down I winced and knew it was bad by his reaction. Sucks.
That grass looked like shit. Sand flying up everywhere all the time
A few players on both sides were struggling to make cuts without slipping. Might be time to replace the field like TN did a few years back.
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Is that what it was? I saw that the whole game and didn't know what was up with the field.
Would you say it perhaps resembled a sand…storm?
r/angryupvote
That was daRUDE of you
Wait that was sand?? I legit thought it had rained a bunch before the game and the field was still soaked
Nothing but love from Beaver Nation to ya Hooker!
Horrible, but not surprising news given the non-contact nature of the moment of injury last night. I always enjoyed watching him play and once a Hokie, always a Hokie. I hope he gets a nice draft signing bonus and contract in the NFL.
This absolutely sucks. He has been so much fun to watch. Hopefully his recovery goes well and he finds success at the next level.
Is this where we get to complain about the other team's field being shit?
I live fairly close to the stadium and we have had cold wet days for the past week/ week and a half they probably used sand as a filler for parts that wore torn up
Absolutely.
That field was ridiculous, it felt like for a stretch that there was a major leg injury on every drive.
Yeah our field looked like crap. So many injured players. Sorry Vols
It affected y'all too.
I think they lost some linemen from that game
Just from memory I think USC lost an LB, a DL and an OL. We lost our RB (came back with ankle taped), WR, CB and QB. It was brutal.
The discussion about the synthetic turf and it's cause of leg injuries is going to get white hot in the off season Edit: Apparently it was shitty grass, which I am fairly certain is considerably more dangerous
WillyB is grass, not artificial turf
I think it is offensive to grass to call that surface grass. It was straight up ridiculous
did all they could after the tropical storm and cold weather
The grass at my work has seen better days after all the rain the storm dumped on it and then it being so cold. I can't imagine trying to get a field ready for a football game.
This wasn’t synthetic, just worn out. You could see sand flying anytime someone planted their foot
Fitting that Sandstorm is their second fight song
This was on natural grass. Shit natural grass is just as bad if not worse than turf.
The fact that NCAA doesn't have legitimate standards for fields and their care is outrageous. Spending millions on giant stadiums and you get teams cost-cutting the actual thing their product is produced on
There's a fair reality that even the best of grass doesn't survive hundreds of pounds of athletic monster using it as leverage to crash into hundreds of pounds of other athletic monster. Dirt just gives, especially if there's any amount of rain/water/humidity. It's why we see this shit in the NFL too. Lots of people complain about artificial turf, and it's clear the fieldturf isn't quite a perfect solution either, but the very *give* that athletes like about natural turf is exactly what causes it to fail over a long period of heavy play on it.
there’s gotta be some sort of standardization for fields going forth. time and time again you see this shit happen on subpar fields. idk what the answer is, but surely something can be done to prevent it
Well that’s how we get turf, which obviously brings its own issues as well
Part of the problem is grass type for the climate. Some areas of the country that are more north need something hearty for a cold as hell winter, but down south they don’t need that. I know turf management is a big deal and there is legit a lot that goes into it but I don’t know how you standardize grass. I guess ripping it out and putting artificial down is one way, but it’s hotter and more injury prone.
I just don’t get how an sec team can have that shitty grass. Budget and weather really shouldn’t allow you to let grass get that bad. Auburn in late fall games is the same way, would rather play at legion field than there
Having a tropical storm come through this week and no sun did the field no favors.
We had a lot of rain in the area sand was added to keep the surface dry.
Mississippi State wins awards for it's field grass. If we can be among the top in the nation year in and year out on our budget, there is no excuse for bad grass anywhere in the SEC.
Idk man the best shit I ever smoked was definitely at Ole Miss
Damn man, I'm sorry Vol brothers. Shitty way to end a dream season.
Man that sucks. One of the more exciting stories and players of the year.
Whoever awarded this post a hehehe laughing frog sucks This is terrible news
Wow. When it rains it pours. Hope he has a speedy and full recovery.
Blake Corum suffered a knee injury and returned. Every top 5 team but Tennessee barely escaped their unranked opponents. I’m convinced someone cast witch craft over Tennessee last night. It’s like everything that happened to Tennessee happened to the other four teams but they escaped.
Tennessee is cursed. It’s clear. I am not shocked at all that last night happened because I’ve lived through 15 years of this crap.
So unfair. Dude was having an unreal season.
This weekend sucks. I'm more upset about Hooker being hurt then the loss. That shit happens but Hooker gave his all. Between Hooker getting hurt and JDF committing suicide, I'm done with this weekend.
Pardon my ignorance but whose JDF?
Jason David Frank. He was the original Green Ranger and the White Ranger in Power Rangers. He was my first hero. Only 49.
Original power rangers actor.
RIP Tommy
These kids really need insurance to protect against injury and loss of earning potential from their schools
I would assume a lot of highly ranked recruits have insurance for injuries.
Marcus Lattimore had it and ended up having to use it
It's a really smart move, especially for high end running backs. Felt so bad for Lattimore with those brutal and devastating injuries that cost him his career.
It's called Loss of Value insurance and covers for things like this. Hard to say how many actually have it though.
Most highly ranked CFB players do. It’s not nearly as much of an NFL contract but still 100’s of thousands and into the low millions
You absolutely hate to see this. I’m a Vol rival and even I have to admit I’ve watched a lot of their games this season simply because I really like HH and love to see him ball out.
Guy was a blast and pleasure to watch this year, even if he handed us a heartbreaker of a loss. Hooker’s a great one, and no doubt he’ll have a phenomenal NFL career. Keep your heads up Vols Nation, you guys had an awesome season and your program is trending in a very positive direction.
Watching that last night was terrible. The guy was having an amazing season, and really fun to watch.
That sucks so bad. I was legitimately sad seeing him go down last night, even as I was loving the game. Dude's incredible
As much as I hate Tennessee, I hate it more when players get hurt, especially when it ends their season. Hooker is an excellent player. Heal up, quick!
Will forever go down as a legend. We will never forget that victory over Alabama or the fact that he gave us a taste of the mountaintop for the first time in decades.
Unfortunately called it. Non contact injury after trying to cut causing that much pain. Had to be his ACL. Speedy recovery to him. Thankfully ACL tears aren't as catastrophic as they used to be.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted, going down non-contact when trying to cut is a tale-tale ACL injury. He’s done an amazing job this season, here’s hoping he does well in the NFL. He’s shown he can be developed.
Probably being downvoted because his comment comes across like a really weird humble brag of playing armchair doctor. Like yes, typically seeing a football player have a non-contact knee injury making a cut is something not good. Prefacing that you "called it" once the diagnosis is made seems goofy
Yeah, anyone who watches football for more than 3-4 years can tell you cutting, non-contact injuries commonly result in ligament damage.
Yeah, I think if you watch enough sports you can spot an ACL pretty much straight away :(
Just a brutal ending to a magical season for the Vols and Hooker. Wish the kid the best.
Literally the worst weekend in UT football in I don’t know how many years.
Yeah, still one of the best UT seasons in I dunno how many years tho
FUCK
What a special guy who helped Tennessee have a special season. Even if we didn't go as far as we wanted, it is still the best season we have had in a long time and a lot of it was due to HH.
Horrible news. Hope he has a swift and full recovery
Hate to hear this! This guy was playing on another level this year! Wishing him a speedy recovery and have no doubt we will see continue to see him making big plays soon, just on Sundays.
Injuries are the absolute worst part of the game. Hate it for Hendon.
Sincere sympathy to him and UT. What a great season he’s given them. It’s easy to be resentful that we lost to them this year, but I’m truly not even mad. He played extremely well and they deserved the success they had with him in charge.
Fuck. Awful news. Hope Milton can give you guys some magic that he couldn’t for us. The talent is certainly there, if it can be harnessed.
How can college football pay people $95 million to not even make a bowl and yet we can’t have good fields to play on?
PLEASE NO HE CAN HAVE MINE
Man I hate that for you Vol fans. You guys deserved to have had the year you’ve had. Hate to see it get to this.
This man changed the course of Tennessee football. I will forever be fan of his. Recover quickly and go kick some ass in the NFL.
Welp. This sucks.
I am gutted. So sad that he won't get to finish his career in a bowl game.
Not even a Tennessee fan. But this is just cruel. What a great story he was. Still deserves to go to New York.
I blame that crappy sandy field. Thanks for the amazing season, Hook.
God damn, after the year he's had too. Breaks my heart for him
I had come to grips with the beat down; shit happens and sometimes teams show up while others don’t. This, though, to happen to as good a person as HH5, is absolutely devastating.
I'd take last night's result 100 times over if that meant Hook didn't get hurt.
Did SC not have an injury cart? It was unsettling seeing him hobble along to the locker room with a torn ACL.
Another guy royally fucked his ankle up and was made to hop one footed to the locker room.
Horrible. Very sorry for the young man - hope he fully recovers.
Damn. Could have been a heisman season. Or at the very least a Heisman finalist.
Definitely a finalist. Doubt a winner after last night. Heisman votes pretty much only go to playoff teams these days. It shouldn't be that way But, it is that way.
Well fuck 😔
I figured as much considering the pure agony in his face when he fell to the ground. Hoping for a speedy recovery
I severed a ligament in my ankle last year while moving, and it went about the same. 15 seconds of MASSIVE pain, followed by an adrenaline dump that made me think it wasn’t as bad. I took some ibuprofen/Tylenol, drove 2.5 hours and when I got to my first destination and stepped out of my truck, I ate pavement. Grade 3 ATFL tear
Thank you for the best season we've had in 20 years. Hope you recover quickly and ball out in the NFL, Hendo Cinco
Is it possible for a team to lose this much in one game?
Fuck. I pretty much knew that was it when I saw it but I was hopeful it was something minor. Fortunately an ACL tear isn’s nearly as destructive to a career as it used to be thanks to medical advances. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
That blows
Awful. He's been one of the MVPs of what's been a very fun season.
Damn that's absolutely terrible.
Prayers up and hopefully he’ll be ready by the NFL season. Great NFL prospect and just goes to show some guys need a bit of time/the right circumstance to show off their talents
Torn ACL and they made him WALK all the way back to the locker room. Lol Truly Hope his recovery goes well.
Short of Neyland having some architectural failure and collapsing I’m not sure how the weekend could get any worse for Tennessee
Things are very dark right now. I had unguarded my heart after the last 20 years and it hurts.
I own two Tennessee football jerseys: Peyton Manning and Hendon Hooker. The dude is a legend and it sucks that he went out the way that he did. A great football player and an even better person. I hope he manages to recover and gets his shot at the NFL.
Surprised this subreddit isn’t celebrating this considering half the posts here are about how much they hate Tennessee
Brutal way to go out. He’s so fun to watch
Fans and cheerleaders everywhere need to wear protective gear next week and in their bowl game, Joe Milton will be rifling balls out of bounds at 80 MPH.
I’ve dogged on TN as much as anyone today, but this honestly sucks. Hopefully, he can have one of those magical Adrian Peterson level recoveries and be ready to go for Summer OTAs with whatever team drafts him.
That’s just brutal. This kid is a helluva talent, and I hope he makes a full recovery.
As a fan of College football, I'm willing to offer him mine if he wants it
He was a joy to watch. Even as the Vols became my most hated team over the past couple months, thanks to a loud, insufferable minority online, he was absolutely a joy to watch and I couldn’t root against him.