If Tennessee football fans want to erase the Heisman Trophy from their consciousness, I can’t blame them. Hendon Hooker’s omission from the list of finalists that will attend the induction ceremony on Saturday was the third time that college football’s ultimate trophy has vexed the Vols.
I’ve voiced my opinion on the matter, and it was evident for whoever counted my ballot. I can cite statistics and the fact that Hooker only missed one full game as reasons that he should be considered alongside the following finalists: Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, Texas Christian quarterback Max Duggan, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams. However, that’s history. The question is no longer, “Why should Hooker be a finalist?” It’s, “Why isn’t he a finalist?”
As much as I thought Hooker should be invited to New York, I’ll take a stab at why he wasn’t and it’s somewhat familiar. Maybe Hooker was overexposed. Maybe he made his record-setting performances this season look too easy, even though a quick look at his resume would prove otherwise. Perhaps Hooker was supposed to wait his turn. There’s one problem with that. Hooker’s eligibility is up.
Former Tennessee football quarterback Peyton Manning didn’t win the Heisman Trophy in 1997 because he made things look too easy. He was the frontrunner before the season began. He was the leader throughout his senior season and should have won the award. ESPN made an effort to create a competition with several players to drum up interest in a boring Heisman race. The stars aligned and Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson ended up with the trophy thanks to a great performance against Ohio State.
It has been argued that Tennessee sent out too much public relations materials to remind voters that Manning was, indeed, the top player in college football during his senior season. Whatever the reason, Manning not having that trophy is a shame. The same is true for Hooker not being invited to New York.
Heisman Trophy voters have been accused of simply voting for the best player on the best team. Well, that’s hard to argue against now. All four finalists are quarterbacks for the teams that were in the thick of the College Football Playoff hunt last week. Three of the finalists are in the final four. All are ranked in the top 10. That’s not a good look. Neither is leaving Hooker out of the final grouping that will be traveling to New York later this week.
Hooker not being invited to New York can only be because the story was too good, right? There’s no way that a transfer just happens to be an ideal role model and one of the top college football players in the country. We’re too jaded for that. Well, unless something changes drastically, that is and was the case. It’s a shame that too many Heisman voters didn’t realize it.
