Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was quick this week to tell reporters that he’s starting to see Hooker’s talent “come to life”, while noting that he’s pleased with the North Carolina native’s growth.
“Listen, we’ve taken the approach, we’re coaching him hard, which means we’re throwing a lot on him and when he makes a mistake, we’re letting him know about it,” said Johnson (via Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News). “That’s what we believe in because if he can handle that, then once he gets to these preseason games, it’s going to be a cinch for him. He’s really going to click, and I think he’s going to flourish because of that.”
“I think at this point now, he’s got a comfort level,” added Johnson. “Those six weeks off during the summer, all of those young guys, but especially Hendon, I mean, you can tell he really worked at his craft. He worked on calling the plays, getting in and out of the huddle, the procedure of it, because once he got that part right, now we can see his talent really coming to life.”
“He’s been a lot more accurate here in training camp. You’ve seen him on the move a little bit more. I think once we get him into games, we’ll see his legs really be a benefit for us. So, I’m pleased with the growth he had from the springtime here to camp and we’ll continue to see how far we can push him here over the next few weeks.”
One thing that Lions fans should know about Hooker is that he’s a gamer. Remember, he lost the battle for the starting job at Tennessee in 2021 because Joe Milton was more impressive during camp/practices.
It wasn’t until Hooker took over for Milton, though, that Tennessee’s offense thrived.
Some players are just better when the lights come on. And Hooker certainly appears to be one of those players.