I am just going to say this about Hendon Hooker

#1
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volbound1700

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#1
He is the best Quarterback that I have seen playing in the Orange and White and I remember watching Tee Martin, Josh Dobbs, Casey Clausen, and Peyton Manning.

Sure Peyton Manning is an NFL HOFer and a legend but his time in Knoxville doesn't match up with what Hooker is currently doing. Manning never beat Florida and he struggled at times in games such as Alabama in 1996, Memphis in 1996, Vanderbilt in 1996 and 1997, Nebraska in 1997, and of course Florida every year.

Hooker has yet to have a major let down and walked into a far more difficult situation than any of the great QBs listed above. He has been more impactful than any of these QBs.

This is a big statement but I feel this is a true statement. We will see how he finishes the season but man this guy has been special on Rocky Top.
 
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#2
#2
I love Hendon. Think he is a wonderful young man. He's also an incredibly gifted athlete, football player, quarterback. He is the best in the nation in this sport at the college level.

Having said that, Peyton was, too, when he wore orange and white. The best in the country at this game with the oblong ball.

Two totally different styles and ways of being awesome. So it gets very hard to pick one over the other.

Thankfully, we don't have to. We can love them both.

Go Vols!
 
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#4
#4
calban said:
Different era, different style, different game. Hendon is the BEST in the game today though.
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True, but I think the key with Hooker is the situation he walked into. I think what he has done is more impactful.

Peyton Manning, Tee Martin, etc. didn't step into a dumpster fire Tennessee program and bring it back from the dead. That is harder to accomplish. They didn't get a win against the GOAT coach and end a 15-year streak in a 52-49 shootout (Hooker lead our offense to 52 points!).

The only other QB that took over in a tough spot was Josh Dobbs but even he didn't get us to where Hooker has taken us. (I do think Josh Dobbs is underrated as a QB and his time at Tennessee. Give him a coach not named Butch Jones and he probably would have been better).
 
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#5
#5
Being thrust into your first D1 college game as freshman and being told to "shut up and call the damn ay freshman" is not an ideal situation. Even if the team you're surrounded by is pretty damn talented. And while Cutcliff is known as a great qb coach and a good OC...the Cutcliff offense was not a buzz word in college football.

I do think HH is pretty amazing at aspects of the game...im just not sure he is the best ever at QB.

Can you imagine what a Condredge Holloway would have accomplished if he had CJH?

He is one of the greats for certain. IMO he isn't at the top of the list.
 
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#15
#15
@volbound1700 I keep thinking I want to argue with you but really the only major point in Peyton's favor is that he was here 4 years. So I won't argue it and leave it at this. Hooker deserves serious consideration in anyone's VFL QB goat conversation.
 
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#16
#16
He's as good as anyone I've ever seen here. He throws a beautiful deep ball, I don't recall one better. He can also make the short, post route throws, long throws on ropes across the field. Manning threw wobblers but his mind and decision making meant they were generally on target. Hooker has Manning's mind, Shuler's arm and can run nearly as well as Dobbs. 52 touchdowns and 4 interceptions is something we may never see again from any quarterback.
 
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#17
#17
I won’t compare the two other than saying Peyton and Hooker will have both left Tennessee deserving of being the Heisman trophy winner. Hopefully, Hooker does, but it’s been a joke of an award to me since Woodson won and it won’t effect his legacy in my mind if he doesn’t.
 
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#18
#18
These type topics usually cause unwanted controversy talk... Peyton came in and had to compete as a true freshman and grew and became an absolute legend... He slung it around all over the field..... Hendon has came from an average at best ordeal at VT and scratched and clawed at every opportunity since stepping foot on UT... His grind and work ethic combined with a good coaching staff has paid off... Just enjoy the ride and put comparisons away... We are in the thick of it! THICK!
 
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#19
#19
volbound1700 said:
He is the best Quarterback that I have seen playing in the Orange and White and I remember watching Tee Martin, Josh Dobbs, Casey Clausen, and Peyton Manning.

Sure Peyton Manning is an NFL HOFer and a legend but his time in Knoxville doesn't match up with what Hooker is currently doing. Manning never beat Florida and he struggled at times in games such as Alabama in 1996, Memphis in 1996, Vanderbilt in 1996 and 1997, Nebraska in 1997, and of course Florida every year.

Hooker has yet to have a major let down and walked into a far more difficult situation than any of the great QBs listed above. He has been more impactful than any of these QBs.

This is a big statement but I feel this is a true statement. We will see how he finishes the season but man this guy has been special on Rocky Top.
Click to expand...

You can thank the genius offensive playcaller Phillip Fulmer for the Manning struggles. He took the greatest QB that will ever set foot on campus surrounded by countless NFL picks and has nothing to show for it but 2 Citrus Bowl wins, 4 losses to Spurrier, a loss at Memphis State and was absolutely rocked by Tom Osborne in the Orange Bowl. Facts.
 
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#20
#20
VolArmy74 said:
He's as good as anyone I've ever seen here. He throws a beautiful deep ball, I don't recall one better. He can also make the short, post route throws, long throws on ropes across the field. Manning threw wobblers but his mind and decision making meant they were generally on target. Hooker has Manning's mind, Shuler's arm and can run nearly as well as Dobbs. 52 touchdowns and 4 interceptions is something we may never see again from any quarterback.
Click to expand...

Hendon is probably Top 3 in UT history right now, but I wouldn't say he throws a deep ball that's any more beautiful than Peyton's. In fact Hendon might not even throw the best deep ball on the current team. As it stands now, I think Tyler Bray's deep throws looked better.
 
#21
#21
VolArmy74 said:
He's as good as anyone I've ever seen here. He throws a beautiful deep ball, I don't recall one better. He can also make the short, post route throws, long throws on ropes across the field. Manning threw wobblers but his mind and decision making meant they were generally on target. Hooker has Manning's mind, Shuler's arm and can run nearly as well as Dobbs. 52 touchdowns and 4 interceptions is something we may never see again from any quarterback.
Click to expand...

Spot on. Your last sentence is what’s most impressive about Hendon, he takes care of the ball. That is just an incredible TD/INT ratio that you never see.
 
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#22
#22
I know we are talking Tennessee football but let's see what Hooker does in the NFL.

Because let's face facts thats a lot of the love Manning got even after leaving Tennessee
 
#24
#24
volbound1700 said:
He is the best Quarterback that I have seen playing in the Orange and White and I remember watching Tee Martin, Josh Dobbs, Casey Clausen, and Peyton Manning.

Sure Peyton Manning is an NFL HOFer and a legend but his time in Knoxville doesn't match up with what Hooker is currently doing. Manning never beat Florida and he struggled at times in games such as Alabama in 1996, Memphis in 1996, Vanderbilt in 1996 and 1997, Nebraska in 1997, and of course Florida every year.

Hooker has yet to have a major let down and walked into a far more difficult situation than any of the great QBs listed above. He has been more impactful than any of these QBs.

This is a big statement but I feel this is a true statement. We will see how he finishes the season but man this guy has been special on Rocky Top.
Click to expand...

I love Hooker but he isn’t Peyton. Mannings ability to read a defense pre snap is unparalleled. And will you please stop with the Peyton didn’t beat Florida BS? Do you even remember those UF teams he had to play? Obviously you don’t. Here is a little refresher. From 94-97 UF won 44 games, 3 straight SECE titles, 29-3 in SEC and one NC. Oh and they had a Heisman winning QB.

No offense to Hooker but if you want to say he beat UF, he beat a bad UF. I mean Napier compared to Spurrier??? Come on.
 
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