KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WGHP) — The Detroit Lions have selected Greensboro-native and former Dudley High School star Hendon Hooker with the 67th pick in the Third Round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Born in Greensboro, Hooker starred at Dudley High School for three seasons from 2014-2017, winning two state titles as well countless individual awards. He spent the first three seasons of his college career at Virginia Tech University before transferring to the University of Tennessee in 2021.

Hooker started a majority of games for Virginia Tech in his final two seasons in Blacksburg posting good numbers before transferring to the University of Tennesee in 2021 where he blossomed into one of college football’s biggest superstars.

In his first year in Knoxville with the Volunteers, Hooker threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions for the season. Hooker also rushed for 616 yards and five touchdowns as he led Tennesse to a surprising 7-6 record with their dominant offense.

“I remember when I first joined the team, it’s funny, but right off the bat my teammates were skeptical,” Hooker said in his farewell to Tennessee published on The Players Tribune. “I think it’s that ‘SEC confidence’ they all had. It’s like they couldn’t imagine how some dude from the ACC could actually ball.

“But then we’re in my first practice, and on some of the early plays, I made our linebackers kind of touch the ground — just stumble a little bit when I shook them. And we’re in the locker room after, and everyone is just like, ‘Oh man, Hendon, I didn’t know you could move like that!! You’re fast!!’ or ‘I didn’t know you had an arm on you!!! You can sling it!!!’ And I’m just laughing so hard, and shaking my head, like, ‘Thanks, y’all. I appreciate it.’

“But as funny as that was to me, it was also big, for real,” he said. “Because my main goal when I got here was to gain my teammates’ trust and respect. I knew that had to come first. And everything else would follow.”

His second and final season in Tennessee was more of the same as he threw for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. Hooker also ran for 430 yards and five touchdowns as he led Tennessee to a 9-2 record and an upset victory over #3 Alabama which led to the Volunteers briefly being ranked as the #1 team in the nation.

Tennessee had hopes of earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, but their hopes were dashed in a disappointing loss to South Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022, that saw Hooker tear his ACL in the fourth quarter of a game that was already out of hand.

Despite the devastating knee injury, Hooker was still named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Many experts also believe that Hooker should have been a Heisman finalist despite his injury and that he assuredly would have been had he not been injured.

Despite the injury, Hooker was confident in his ability to bounce back as well as what he had shown to NFL scouts on tape as he declared for the NFL Draft while still recovering from the knee injury.

That confidence appears to have paid off for Hooker as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Hooker began dropping back and making throws on Wednesday for the first time since his injury. Hooker’s doctor has sent a letter to NFL teams stating that Hooker should be cleared to play near the start of the season.

Hooker himself also tweeted a video showing his progress just 5 months after his ACL tear.

NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein says that Hooker plays with “excellent poise and footwork as a pocket passer. He will make quarterback coaches and play-callers happy with his adherence to keeping plays on schedule.”

Now, Hooker has the opportunity to make his mark on the biggest stage in the National Football League.