It has been well chronicled that Hendon Hooker is very outspoken about his Christian faith. As appealing as that is for most, there are potential pitfalls in the future.
Tim Tebow knows that all too well. The former Florida quarterback was also very public about his Christian faith throughout his college and NFL career. That might be why he didn’t get another shot in the NFL.
I find it difficult to believe that a creative coach couldn’t have found a place for Tebow, who won a playoff game for the Denver Broncos and is now an analyst for the SEC Network and ESPN. Tebow could have been a backup quarterback and part of a goal-line, short-yardage package in which he was a runner or a nationally known decoy.
Let’s be clear: Tebow is not incredibly accurate and has a slow release. He’s not perfect. Neither are half of the quarterbacks currently starting in the NFL. Tebow, even with his faults, was good enough to have a longer NFL career than he did. So why didn’t he?
Simple. Public-relations minded NFL teams didn’t want the “circus” atmosphere that would likely follow Tebow to whichever team gave him a chance. That “circus” notion revolves around Tebow’s public declaration of his faith. That “circus” is about Tebow being a good person that some think tries to draw attention to himself.
Fortunately, Hooker won’t likely have to worry about that. First, Hooker isn’t as well known as Tebow, who was highly publicized before he even signed with the Gators. Tebow was known as the prospect who could play defensive tackle, bench press a baby elephant and preferred mission trips over spring break vacations. At some point, there was too much good for the national media to take. That’s a shame.
Hooker won’t likely face the same criticism. He wasn’t as ballyhooed in high school. He’s suddenly become a great story. Everyone is currently on board. However, the national media can turn on a dime, especially if Hooker doesn’t live up to the bloated standards that will almost assuredly follow him to the NFL.
Hooker’s challenge is to not get jaded if he runs into any Tebow-like disdain. Hooker will likely have success this season, go to the NFL and be judged by anyone who has a television. If he doesn’t have success, his profession of faith could be perceived as trite and, perhaps, even a weakness. Yes, that’s absurd, but it happened to Tebow.
Even though there’s no reason not to believe Hooker, he won’t be trusted to live up to his Christian faith because the national media is cynical and, sometimes, correct. Sports fans have seen superstars fall from grace before. Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods come to mind.
Hooker, as well as any other person of faith, deserves a chance to show that their actions match up with their expressed beliefs. Hooker or any other athlete might make a mistake when it comes to living a Godly life. However, I’m willing to bet that his track record over the next two decades will prove that he’s sincere about what he’s preaching.
For the record, Hooker isn’t preaching about what he’s going to do this season or how he’s going to star in the NFL. He’ll let other, more diva-like, athletes take the braggadocios route. Hooker will stick with his plan, which is to be a coach one day in order to spread the Christian gospel. As for the NFL, that will be there for Hooker. However, he clearly pointed out below that being an NFL superstar is not his ultimate goal:
